Black Butterfly ?

[ThePainter]

Hi,
Sorry this isnt something I saw so I dont have many details or pics.

My Daughter and Mother in law saw what they describe as a pure black butterfly today in the garden, I live in North East England, Ive never seen anything of this description before, they are positive that there were no markings on it at all, its wings were open so they didnt just see the often dark underside of the wings.

Anyone got any ideas what it may be ?

Ill keep my eyes open, if I see one and ID it ill report back.

Thanks

[tr33lo]

Taking a quick look through my book, It could be a melanic form of a peppered moth? they are all black except for a tiny white dot at the front of the wing.
Maybe this:
Image:Biston.betularia.f.carbonaria.7209.jpg - Wikimedia Commons


probably wrong but i gave it a go

Jon

[aeshna5]

I suspect it's a bit early for a Peppered Moth; also early for Chimney Sweeper, another black moth. How well did they see it? Peacocks can look black in flight + there are plenty on the wing now- though obviously if they are seen well they are well marked, but not so evident in flight!

[ThePainter]

Hi,
My mother in law has been interested in nature for some time and can ID many insects, I presume she knows the difference between moths and butterflies, she says it landed next to my daughter on a flowering shrub feeding from the flowers, its wings were open and it was pure black with no markings, thats why she told me about it, she had never seen one like this before and she knows most butterflies that we get.

Im just hoping to see one myself maybe if its sunny today it will come back, maybe its a new varient

Thanks for trying.

[GuyF]

Is it possible to get a melanistic form of any of our butterflies. I've never heard of it before, but you never know!
Guy

[andy68]

Extremes of temperature while pupating can produce darker or lighter than usual forms of some butterflies. Small Tortoiseshell is the species usually quoted as being most affected by this, but I've never seen one myself, and I don't know if they could be completely black. And, given that it's very cold temperatures that produce the dark aberrations, this seems unlikely in view of the general warming of the climate recently.

The only other possibility I can think of would be something like a Peacock or Red Admiral that's lost so many scales over the winter that it looks black? Again, that's not something I've ever seen or even heard of.

Andy

[UB4 gardener]

the only thing i can think of from personal experience is Ringlet but it would be couple of months early. I chased this one on the isle of wight for ages until the penny finally dropped. Doh!

[GuyF]

Another possibility is that it is an escape from a Butterfly House, are there any near your home?
I remember a few months a go an unidentified butterfly thread on this website that turned out to be a tropical American buttefly that must've escaped from a nearby house.
Guy

[thunder]

Any chance it might have been a Camberwell Beauty? There have been a couple of reports on this forum, so they are about. Maybe a very worn one so that the edge markings weren't visible. Might well look black in some lighting.

thunder

[ThePainter]

Hi,
That Ringlet looks very possible, you say it would be a bit early but there have been many things popping up very early this spring due to the weather, we only got one small flurry of snow this winter.
I even found a Great Tit nesting in December in a sheltered valley near me, and saw a couple of butterflies in January, so I suppose anything is possible.