www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Is it rare to see this in London? It's the first I've ever seen anywhere so I was pretty gobsmacked. There were several of them in a mixed but mostly hawthorn hedge near the pond on Peartree Way SE10. Interested to know if other people have seen them in London and where.

Not any more. It's been spreading- possibly along rail routes. It originally occurred around SE London about a decade or so ago. Now quite widely distributed. I disturbed one a couple of weeks ago in a garden near Wandsworth Common (at least the third consecutive season I've seen it here) + a few days later disturbed 3 from a long hedge by the railway in North Wembley- one normal form with red on the hindwing + the other two with orange on the hindwing. So brightly coloured when they take flight.

It's good to see this species expanding its range. Haven't found it in my Greenford garden yet but has been caught locally by mothers.

Been seeing them in North East London for a fair few years now

I was gobsmacked to find one fluttering around my little actinic in Islington on Saturday night.

I saw one in Cricklewood, NW London on Monday. I didnt know what moth it was so posted it in the "identification" forum yesterday. Amazing I thought it was a butterfly when in flight it was so red!