www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

For the last two or three weeks, I have been seeing a very striking and attractive butterfly (or moth - what's the difference?) in my garden.

In flight it is scarlet and flutters. When at rest, the wings are held flat against the body and it appears black with red mangins down the edge of the wings (bottom pair of wings are red?). The body is jet black and fury.

I have never seen anything like it before. I live in the midlands between Coventry and Nuneaton. The environment is suburban, near rural farmland.

Sounds like a Cinnabar moth. See http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=3579.

Cheers,

- Pete

Yes, this looks pretty similar. Mine lacked the spots at the bottom of the wings and the red wing stripes near the body.

I take this to be natural variation, or maybe how the animal held its wings.

Is this species the only posible candidate?

Could be a burnet, but I suspect that this is less-like the description you gave. See http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=241

Cheers,

- Pete

No, it's not a burnet.
Having looked at the other pictures of the Cinnabar, I'm certain it's one of those.

Thanks for your help

Seen exactly the same, it is a butterfly but nobody seems to know what it is. It is not a Cinnabar moth. So frustrating

Please try and take a photo.
Even something distant and fuzzy on a mobile phone will be useful.