ID of butterfly

perma john · #1 (**permalink**) 10-08-2009, 06:13 PM

I have never seen a butterfly like this before, but no camera when you need it !!
Wingspan about 40 mm.
Mainly orange but with some black like a Comma or Fritillary.
BUT most distingtive feature - thin black line on leading edge of upper wings with black and white ( very black and very white ) squares behind - about 5 mm for each square - like a zebra crossing - then a black line about 1 mm thick before the main orange / black colouring.
It was in a field of mature grassland on a very sunny day in late July in north Oxfordshire.
I ahve looked on various web-sites but no photgraphs of anything like it.
Any ideas ??