pink butterfly??

[Little Weed]

I too have seen this elusive bug(ger) over the past few days walking my dog near St. Albans. I'd be surprised if it was a cinnabar moth or a burnet's moth, neither seem to encapsulate what i've seen, although to be fair i've not seen those two in flight. The wings seem to be more like the burnet's but the cerise is quite stunning, closer to the cinnabar's colourings and there seems to be no black markings on the wing. Hopefully tomorrow I shall have a live one to share with you all...

[Little Weed]

Mystery over (for me anyway) it is a six-spot Burnet Moth. Finally saw one at rest and the black markings were clearly visible unlike when in flight, which does look similar to a hummingbird's flight!

[GeorgeBB]

sob sob sob..... I just read all these posts, reading as the story unwound, hoping that I would find the answer.....

Guess what.... I spotted a bright fushia/cerise/barbie pink tiny little butterfly/moth in my garden yesterday! (pause for the collective groan...)

I grabbed my Mum's arm and pointed open mouthed - which she promptly copied!

The creature landed on the lawn, we rushed over and bent down to look.

Unlike the cinnabars previously mentioned, even when motionless it was still pink (bright, vivid Barbie Pink, not red or orange or brown or dusky or terracotta) unmarked, but had a black body.

I am struggling to remember exactly after looking at hundreds of pictures of red and pink butterflies and moths on the internet for two days....... but I think it had black around the edges of the wings (or at least a very very dark pink.)

It was V shaped (like the cinnabar pics I have been looking at) and about 1in long (max.)

It looked most like the pic posted at: Insect and Spider Identification: shearpamela picture (Pink Moth) but a darker pink and with black body.

It sat on the lawn for about 40 seconds before fluttering off. Plenty of time for a good gawk, but unfortunately not enough time to get to the edge of the lawn, let alone get all the way into the house to get a camera!

Oh yes, when in flight the pink was a little muted - like the underwings were grey or something.... does that help?

Camera is now in hand on every trip outside incase I see it again.....

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by GeorgeBB

It looked most like the pic posted at: Insect and Spider Identification: shearpamela picture (Pink Moth) but a darker pink and with black body.

Maybe Pyrausta Pupuralis or Pyrausta aurata without the spots? I guess it's not outside the realms of possibility to get the odd one with faded or absent spots taking on a pinky hue?

[firewire71]

hi every 1 today i saw a butterfly, amazingly bright pink with no black markings just pure bright pink wings

i thought that it was most unusual , so i googled it and came to this site

i live in sheerness kent anyhelp ??

it wasnt like anything in the Gallery plz help mark

[Dan Salter]

Christ not again? and why are all these pink butterfly loons from my neck of the woods? (Kent) you are giving me a bad(er) name!.

Im in the heart of pink butterfly sighting territory and as a lifelong naturalist i am finely tuned to spot and identify any living thing that flies or moves within my eyesight and i have yet to see any pink butterflies other than all the many likely suspects listed in this thread by myself and other WAB'ers.

However....i am very doubtful, but will give the benefit...and will only believe when i see a specimen or a genuine photo!.

This is almost as famous as nessie now! (i did say almost!)

[harasseddad]

They're not loons - they're people with a genuine query, which after all is what these forums are set to up to help with.

The problem is that the "pink" insects (elephant hawk, Cinnabar) don't appear particularly pink in the frozen moment of a photograph. Only when they fly does the brain's persistance of vision turn them pink. So when someone comes here and looks through the galleries they dont see what they "saw". What we need is a video of a cinnabar flying to point people to.

Of course, it's always possible that somewhere in kent there's a researcher doing population studies by spraying white butterflies pink - or a crop sprayer with pink aerosols fitted. After all we do have a photo of that - albeit from the states.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by harasseddad

They're not loons - they're people with a genuine query, which after all is what these forums are set to up to help with.

The problem is that the "pink" insects (elephant hawk, Cinnabar) don't appear particularly pink in the frozen moment of a photograph. Only when they fly does the brain's persistance of vision turn them pink. So when someone comes here and looks through the galleries they dont see what they "saw". What we need is a video of a cinnabar flying to point people to.

Of course, it's always possible that somewhere in kent there's a researcher doing population studies by spraying white butterflies pink - or a crop sprayer with pink aerosols fitted. After all we do have a photo of that - albeit from the states.

You are telling me nothing i didnt already know. I have followed this thread and contributed for a very long time, however, without doubt, many of the posts/sightings have been windups and scams. And as you state 9/10 times the culprit ends up being a regular native lepidoptera species, but no matter how many times you tell people they still argue it until either seeing the insect a second time or actually bothering to check Gallery pics of those we suggest, if you read the thread from start to finish , many times a person has argued against cinnabar or burnets even when we explain the pink flight colour etc...but eventually they agree and accept it...its just frustrating.

And i think the pink crop spray could be possible but im not sure if that usage has crossed the atlantic to kent or the rest of the uk yet? research is a real possibility but i would have thought by now (this is an old thread) that a researcher would have got wind of, or found the thread in a search and informed us by now?

[charlieb]

There are dozens of potential candidates for a "pink butterfly" and that's not including escapees from butterfly houses.

Of course someone is going to disagree if you don't explain to them about hindwing colour or apparent colour in flight. The people that come on to this thread have searched google for "pink butterfly" and have little knowledge of wildlife, let alone the variation in colour of hindwings of certain moth species.

People come on here asking for help - you should be able to judge the knowledge of the person involved and act accordingly - the least you can do is not reply if you think the person is winding you up or if you have nothing positive to say.

You should be pleased that people are being curious about nature.

[WhiskyBottle]

Many years ago on Dawlish Warren, Devon, on a very hot summer day, as the wind blew hot air off the beach into the bushes the bushes would turn pink with 'pink butterflies'. As the breeze dropped they would all vanish.

The effect was quite spectacular and I've never seen anything like it since.

They were Scarlet Tigers, and in large numbers. When they settled they turned black and were difficult to spot in the bushes.

I have seen Scarlet Tigers since, but not in such numbers, and they do look very pink in flight, and day flying, and the right size for a 'butterfly'.

[ewillday]

Originally Posted by harasseddad

They're not loons - they're people with a genuine query, which after all is what these forums are set to up to help with.

The problem is that the "pink" insects (elephant hawk, Cinnabar) don't appear particularly pink in the frozen moment of a photograph. Only when they fly does the brain's persistance of vision turn them pink. So when someone comes here and looks through the galleries they dont see what they "saw". What we need is a video of a cinnabar flying to point people to.

Of course, it's always possible that somewhere in kent there's a researcher doing population studies by spraying white butterflies pink - or a crop sprayer with pink aerosols fitted. After all we do have a photo of that - albeit from the states.

Thank you harasseddad... this is the most enlightening bit I've read in all these posts. I'm not sure I ever saw the blighter at rest, as it hid in the underleaves of a rhoddendrum. I'd all but given up on this site for helping me explain what I saw.

Every photo I've looked at, as you rightly say, doesn't explain what I saw in flight in any way as it was the most artificial pink I've witnessed (not an expert).

I'll put it down to a Cinnabar/Elephant Hawks Head moth and sleep more easily now.

[Garden Carpet]

Dan, you are so lucky... a life time naturalist... unfortunately some of us have not had that luck... and come to WAB for helpful advice and you would have been just the person to help out!

Jaki

[Dan Salter]

Like i said

'However....i am very doubtful, but will give the benefit...and will only believe when i see a specimen or a genuine photo!.'

I would be overjoyed if this was a new species / visitor to the uk, would be the best thing to happen on WAB but without photo's or a specimen i can only get frustrated by a thread that has gone on for soooo long with zero evidence to show for it.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Garden Carpet

Dan, you are so lucky... a life time naturalist... unfortunately some of us have not had that luck... and come to WAB for helpful advice and you would have been just the person to help out!

Jaki

And i do regularly, listening to the descriptions and then giving an ID of ruby tiger, scarlet tiger, elephant hawk, burnets or cinnabar etc etc accordingly.

And all of you dont get so bloomin upset? so i called people loons....come on? this is me...im a born joker and a loon is hardly that offensive...i could have called you all ........hmm....maybe i wont

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

so i called people loons....come on? this is me...im a born joker and a loon is hardly that offensive...

I think the "Christ not again" set a rather bad tone for the rest of the post, and could quite easily upset a number of people.

[Zuru67]

From what I have read we have had sightings of a Pink Butterfly/moth in Kent and South East London. Geographically they located next to each other.

In regard to my sighting of this insect, I saw it both stationary and in flight. At Both times this insect had a bright pink, by which i mean "DAYGLO" pink colouring. It had no black markings or dark markings at rest.

Therefore, if this is a common butterfly/moth it is not playing the game

Having seen what is akin to an insectoid version of the Loch Ness Monster, it is really frustrating to receive negative comments.

Whether we are all talking about a common insect or a rare version, this insect does exist and I really want to know what it is.

remember, "Dayglo" pink, not red, brownish, mottled, just bright pink..


regards

Adam

[Jim Ford]

Having already spotted a melanistic 'Wabber Pink' I've now seen a leucistic form. It was pure white and fluttering around my cabbages!
;^)

Jim

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Having already spotted a melanistic 'Wabber Pink' I've now seen a leucistic form. It was pure white and fluttering around my cabbages!
;^)

Jim

Loving it Jim, keep it up.

[Garden Carpet]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

And i do regularly, listening to the descriptions and then giving an ID of ruby tiger, scarlet tiger, elephant hawk, burnets or cinnabar etc etc accordingly.

And all of you dont get so bloomin upset? so i called people loons....come on? this is me...im a born joker and a loon is hardly that offensive...i could have called you all ........hmm....maybe i wont

Perhaps the first three words were the most unkind Dan. If you dont like the thread.. why are you reading it?

jaki

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Garden Carpet

Perhaps the first three words were the most unkind Dan. If you dont like the thread.. why are you reading it?

jaki

Because every time the thread is resurected and has new posts i cant help looking to see if someone ACTUALLY got a photo this time?.....but no.

[jacquie weeks]

I still have the moth and will try and put photo online or would like someone to see in the flesh and identify it

[Lance Morgan]

Originally Posted by jacquie weeks

I still have the moth and will try and put photo online or would like someone to see in the flesh and identify it

Excellent Jacquie
Sure you will get an identification

[jacquie weeks]

Will try and download my photo. Not working - any ideas how too ??


won't transfer - if interested please advise of email to email photo too.

[charlieb]

You want this link to upload photos:

Wild About Britain Images Upload

and select "Image library"

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by jacquie weeks

Will try and download my photo. Not working - any ideas how too ??


won't transfer - if interested please advise of email to email photo too.

Excellent! Just what we need. Send me a PM and I will return my email address to you in reply. Send me the photograph as an email attachment and I will then upload it to the WAB archive for you with your name as credit.

Thanks!