Oh my... The whole family is going up to Tropical Wings this Sunday so I'll report back if we get any nearer!! Thanks again for all your help everyone

Sheryl, you say you're in Essex - are you near South Woodham Ferrers? There's a tropical butterfly house there called Tropical Wings, so maybe the butterfly might have been an escapee like the Plain Tiger that Guy suggested... also another possible; not a butterfly I know anything about - a female ...

padfield wrote:Your doctored picture makes me think of plain tiger:

Guy

Thanks Guy, this one is very close to it, apart from the faint black markings in the orange.

Sheryl

Denise wrote:Anything like this?

Cream-spot Tiger Moth.

Denise

Thanks Denise, but definitely not that.

It could have been a red admiral or Indian Red Admiral? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Red_Admiral Very close to that, Dave, but with no markings on the orange. Here's a doctored picture of a red admiral which shows how striking the colouring was. http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m311/sacmac...

It could have been a red admiral or Indian Red Admiral? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Red_Admiral Very close to that, Dave, but with no markings on the orange. Here's a doctored picture of a red admiral which shows how striking the colouring was. http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m311/sacmac...

Thanks everyone. I'm not experienced at all in this field so I'm sure that doesn't help!! I'm more of a bird person. :D I've been going through all the moth photos and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a moth in any case. The nearest thing it looked like is a red admiral with that big eye shape going on rou...

Thanks, Guy. No, that wasn't it. The central bit was a solid unmarked orange/red. I have to say I've never seen one before so I'm mightily curious!! Hope someone has an idea. If I see it again I'll be sure to take a photo.

Just joined as it's been driving me mad trying to ID a butterfly I saw at the weekend and I'm hoping you guys can help. Unfortunately it was gone before I had a chance to take a photo. The closest thing I can find is that it looked very much like a Red Admiral, with the black and white on the edge o...