Help ! Indentify

[Clan Chief]

Yesterday evening I came across something I have never seen before at Hillend. Im sure someone on here will be able to identify this creature. The pics are crap as I didn't have my camera with me so I had to use my phone camera. Is it some kind of moth ? it looks a bit sedgey It had black wings and a bright orange body though. Excuse my ignorance.
Post the pics shortly

[smackinnon]

if I'm not mistaken its the very rare "orange bodied sedgey moth" :lol:

[Gander]

Clan Chief,
              I would get that properly identified. You may have found a Scottish unicorn.  :shock:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7430816.stm

[rabbitangler]

bottom picture looks like a clan cheif to me

[sandyborthwick]

Aye Clan Chief,

that one could have all the boys crawling the hills with wee nets. You might be famous as the highland moth man :lol:.

Seriously it certainly looks like the Holy Grail of moths should get it checked out.

Sandy B.O.   

[Clan Chief]

This had an orange body and definitely jet black wings

[Gander]

This had an orange body and definitely jet black wings

Try sending the photo and description to

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/article/9/44/mythical_moth_spotted_in_highlands.html

[Clan Chief]

I Contacted the butterfly conservation body but unfortunately it is not the mythical moth but one which looks similar called Red necked footman Here is the reply I received

Many thanks for the photos ? unfortunately this is not the mythical moth Ethmyia pyrausta but a very similar moth, (though in a very different family) Red-necked Footman.  For a photo to double check visit http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=3528  the caterpillars feed on lichens. 



The Red necked footman is a species that is doing very well in Scotland and is rapidly spreading north ? so although not as exciting as ethmyia pyrausta it is still a good sighting as it helps us track its northerly spread.  I?ll pass your record on to the relevant local moth recorder.