Black & Red Butterfly/Moth ID please

[heatherannej]

I know you will be able to help me here :-) This was seen today, 21 June 2009 at Great Notley Country Park in Essex. If you can also enlighten me as to the plant, that will be a bonus. Many thanks Heather

[Jason Green]

The moth is a Burnet, possibly 5-spot, and I believe the plant is a burdock, though for ID you may need the height and a shot of the leaves... but then it's a plant, so what do I know

[Hedera]

This is a six=spot Burnet moth. The plant could be a kind of scabious.

[Jason Green]

Ah, sorry Heather... but I did only say possibly!

[Jenny W]

It's a 5 spot - probably Narrow Bordered 5-Spot, Zygaena lonicerae. (5-Spots mostly confined to south-west and Wales I think).

Is the flower part of the same plant as the leaves that are visible in the photo? - cos they are Thistle leaves.

[heatherannej]

Thank you so much .... does this pic help further with the plant. I can always post in a different section, if not :-) Many thanks Heather

[Jenny W]

Creeping Thistle, Cirsium arvense, I reckon.

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Jenny W

It's a 5 spot - probably Narrow Bordered 5-Spot, Zygaena lonicerae. (5-Spots mostly confined to south-west and Wales I think).

Really? Thanks for that...

[heatherannej]

Hi all ... thanks for the input .... it does have 6 spots though - 3 on each wing? Heather

[Jenny W]

Originally Posted by heatherannej

it does have 6 spots though - 3 on each wing?

The top 'two' on each wing are actually two separate ones, so that in your specimens there are actually 5 spots on each wing - hence the 5-spot. 6-Spots have 6 spots on each wing.