By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.

It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled orange
wings.

Can anyone identify it?

John Burke wrote:

By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.

It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled orange
wings.

Can anyone identify it?

Likeliest thing is a Speckled Wood butterfly. It is usually a woodland
butterfly but it does occur in gardens.

The caterpillars eat grasses.
Here is a picture.

http://www.butterfly-conservation.or...kled_wood.html

Neil Jones
http://www.butterflyguy.com/

"John Burke" wrote
By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.

It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled
orange wings.

Can anyone identify it?

A Comma perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_(butterfly)

--
Sue

On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 23:36:03 +0100, John Burke wrote:

It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled orange
wings.

Do you mean orange wings with a different colour speckle or wings with
orange coloured speckles?

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

John Burke wrote:
By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.
It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled orange
wings.
Can anyone identify it?

Check this - it's great to id what you see )
http://www.britishbutterflies.co.uk/2006/home.asp

"John Burke" wrote in message
...
By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.

Was it UTTERLY butterly?
--
Brian

La Puce wrote:
John Burke wrote:
By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.
It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled
orange wings.
Can anyone identify it?

Check this - it's great to id what you see )
http://www.britishbutterflies.co.uk/2006/home.asp

Thanks, but there seems to be a problem getting this page to load.

Sue wrote:
"John Burke" wrote
By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.

It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled
orange wings.

Can anyone identify it?

A Comma perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_(butterfly)

Similar, but the profile of the wing was an arc, not in angular sections as
the Comma's. Also the speckles were uniform (and all of a same dark colour).

The combination of the vivid primary orange and the secondary (almost black)
dark markings made me wonder if signalled something nasty for a predator.

Thanks.

In message , John Burke
writes
By the time I fetched my camera it'd gone.

It stayed on the ground for a few minutes and displayed speckled orange
wings.

Can anyone identify it?

Small Copper, perhaps, or, less likely, from your description,
Gatekeeper.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"John Burke" wrote
Sue wrote:
A Comma perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_(butterfly)

Similar, but the profile of the wing was an arc, not in angular
sections as the Comma's. Also the speckles were uniform (and all of a
same dark colour).

The combination of the vivid primary orange and the secondary (almost
black) dark markings made me wonder if signalled something nasty for a
predator.

Sounds like one of the fritillaries. Picture/info links here might help
identify it:
http://www.butterfly-conservation.or...ata/index.html

--
Sue

Sue wrote:


"John Burke" wrote
Sue wrote:
A Comma perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_(butterfly)

Similar, but the profile of the wing was an arc, not in angular
sections as the Comma's. Also the speckles were uniform (and all of a
same dark colour).

The combination of the vivid primary orange and the secondary (almost
black) dark markings made me wonder if signalled something nasty for a
predator.

Sounds like one of the fritillaries. Picture/info links here might help
identify it:
http://www.butterfly-conservation.or...ata/index.html

With dark specking on an orange background I'd say that is possible. A Wall
Brown is another possiblily but the colours are not that vivid.

The only fritillaries that are likely in Hertfordshire are Dark Green or
Silver Washed. The others used to be there but they have disappeared.

How big was it?

Like butterflies everywhere in the UK there has been a massive decline.

Neil Jones
http://www.butterflyguy.com/

Neil Jones wrote:
Sue wrote:
"John Burke" wrote
Sue wrote:

A Comma perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_(butterfly)

Similar, but the profile of the wing was an arc, not in angular
sections as the Comma's. Also the speckles were uniform (and all of
a same dark colour).

The combination of the vivid primary orange and the secondary
(almost black) dark markings made me wonder if signalled something
nasty for a predator.

Sounds like one of the fritillaries. Picture/info links here might
help identify it:
http://www.butterfly-conservation.or...ata/index.html

With dark specking on an orange background I'd say that is possible.

I looked through Sue's link but all the fritillaries there have a complex
geometry in their wing shapes and colour patterns, where this one didn't.
Also the orange I saw was far brighter than the amber that the fritillaries
seem to have.

A Wall Brown is another possiblily but the colours are not that vivid.

The only fritillaries that are likely in Hertfordshire are Dark Green
or Silver Washed. The others used to be there but they have
disappeared.

I didn't see this in Herts btw, but in the back garden of a friend I was
visiting in inner London.

How big was it?

Average? 40 - 50 mm wingspan? Its size didn't seem to be an
outstanding feature.

Like butterflies everywhere in the UK there has been a massive
decline.

Yes. I know little about them but they certainly seem less common than I
remember.

Neil Jones
http://www.butterflyguy.com/

I'll do a search at your website later and post back if I can find it.

Thanks.