A rarity?

[chris h]

Previous response to my identification is not correct.
I have now been to the library trawling through all the books and can find nothing to resemble it.
I think I may have seen somethimg like at the Wisley Glasshouse earlier this year...
It is a medium sized butterfly. Its wings were in the open position and it was pillar box red and sooty black in a sort of ?marbled pattern.
There was no other colour visible on the wings and the body was densely black. It stayed around my lavender for some time and did not appear very active.
I should have taken a photo but was a bit distracted by other things.
What do you think?

[Nicola Main]

Some kind of tiger moth? http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2229

[millerd]

Or an escapee from a tropical Butterfly House. This is one - I couldn't tell you what it is, I'm afraid.

Dave