Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Butterfly identification help

JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
in Wildlife gardening
I briefly saw a striking butterfly on my terrace today. It had symmetrical black and white stripes on its underside of the wings and I’m sure I got a flash of bright orange or red on the top when it suddenly fluttered out of sight (really fast). Any ideas what it could have been? Most of the identification photos concentrate on the top of the wings which I did not get a good look at.
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Could it have been a red underwing moth?

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Do you get the scarce swallowtail that far north?
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    Nope neither of these. The stripes were really stark and a definite black and white/cream, hopefully it will come back as it was on my mini buddlia which is just getting into full flower.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    My first thought was a Magpie moth, but of course as a moth it would rest with its wings folded so you wouldn’t see the underside ...

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    After much research I think it may have been a tiger moth. 
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    One of these? With the tiny bit of red visible on the body, which is full red when the wings are open? It's a scarlet tiger moth, I had loads a few weeks ago. Here's one resting on an allium...


Sign In or Register to comment.