Only three days left ...

[umslopogaas]

Anna, they probably overwinter as adults, so if those had been overwintering they would either be long dead or have flown away in the spring. More likely, they recently emerged from the chrysalises and found their way in and were planning to overwinter, or just got trapped by accident. The caterpillars feed on stinging nettles and the adults like sugar from nectar or over-ripe fruit, so your cotton jumpers were quite safe. Adult butterflies imbibe liquids, its the caterpillars that munch.

[Anna]

. My guess is that they strayed into your house by accident, probably enticed by the smell of your cooking .

Thank you Richard (you old flatterer!) and umslopogaas! Trapped by accident is logical, I've been sorting wardrobes and leaving the doors open for an airing and of course, all upstairs windows are open most of the time 24/7 in the Summer. Thank you both for explanation (but, my goodness, it did give me a fright when they flew out of the jumpers! Strange that they chose the cotton items and not the synthetics, but on reflection perhaps not) Anyway, they went on their way unscathed.

[Serial_Apologist]

Thank you Richard (you old flatterer!) and umslopogaas! Trapped by accident is logical, I've been sorting wardrobes and leaving the doors open for an airing and of course, all upstairs windows are open most of the time 24/7 in the Summer. Thank you both for explanation (but, my goodness, it did give me a fright when they flew out of the jumpers! Strange that they chose the cotton items and not the synthetics, but on reflection perhaps not) Anyway, they went on their way unscathed.

You were lucky they were Red Admirals and not clothes moths, Anna - every year I have to put up with an invasion of the latter, costing me much in moth proofer aerosols.

[Anna]

You were lucky they were Red Admirals and not clothes moths, Anna - every year I have to put up with an invasion of the latter, costing me much in moth proofer aerosols.

I have numerous small flying moths this year (but I do leave my windows open) - are they clothes moths - how do I know? Do I wait until they munch their way through something and find holes?

[Richard Tarleton]

I have numerous small flying moths this year (but I do leave my windows open) - are they clothes moths - how do I know? Do I wait until they munch their way through something and find holes?

AFAIK there's only one species of clothes moth, the rest are OK.

I can dimly remember a Woody Allen monlogue about a clothes moth caterpillar complaining of indigestion after eating a brightly coloured cardigan, the doctor recommends two plain socks....I found the moose sketch but not this one.

[french frank]

You were lucky they were Red Admirals and not clothes moths, Anna - every year I have to put up with an invasion of the latter, costing me much in moth proofer aerosols.

I had a real infestation about five years ago - they destroyed a Belouch rug which obviously (unusually) hadn't been moth-proofed before I bought it. It was in a dark alcove and I didn't notice what was happening until it was beyond repair: it ended up in the compost bin . Most years I just get two or three (moths, not rugs).

[Anna]

In yesterday's Times, article about butterflies and how it is a Clouded Yellow year. Seems they make their way here every year in small numbers but roughly every ten years or so there is a huge influx (the last huge migration was 2006), and this year is the year! They fly in from the South and have just been sighted from the South Coast to the Midlands, they breed but are usually wiped out by the cold winters, however, there is evidently a breeding colony being established near Bournemouth, and if we have a mild Winter .... (Just thought I'd mention it so as people can keep a look-out!)
On the subject of carpet moths - do they fly and when you squish them are they powdery?

[umslopogaas]

Carpet (tapestry) moths (Trichophaga tapetzella) are related to clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella) and yes, the adults fly, but its the larvae that eat your carpets. They go squish when you squish them, but the scales on the wings will probably leave a powdery coating on your fingers.

With my waning memory of O level Latin, I can tell you that Trichophaga means "hair eating" or something similar, which is logical. What the other bits of Latin are derived from, I fear I dont know. They may be Greek, taxonomists use both.

[Richard Tarleton]

In yesterday's Times, article about butterflies and how it is a Clouded Yellow year. Seems they make their way here every year in small numbers but roughly every ten years or so there is a huge influx (the last huge migration was 2006), and this year is the year!

Just seen my first UK clouded yellow of the year - saw some in Menorca in June.

[Serial_Apologist]

While out on my Sunday afternoon constitutional just now, I spotted one of the most beautiful moths I have ever seen: jet black wings superimposed with golden vein-like patterns, like some brooch from a posh Mayfair jewellers.

[french frank]

While out on my Sunday afternoon constitutional just now, I spotted one of the most beautiful moths I have ever seen: jet black wings superimposed with golden vein-like patterns, like some brooch from a posh Mayfair jewellers.

I found a brooch that looked a bit like that, but not a moth.

Funny thing that once the buttefly count was over I don't seem to have any butterflies in my garden. Buddleia flowers dying, I suppose.

[Richard Tarleton]

While out on my Sunday afternoon constitutional just now, I spotted one of the most beautiful moths I have ever seen: jet black wings superimposed with golden vein-like patterns, like some brooch from a posh Mayfair jewellers.

Could it possibly have been this, a wood tiger?

[Anna]

I've had an email from the Big Butterfly Count. It's good news for butterfly lovers:
Small White topped the Big Butterfly Count 2013 chart with the Large White in second place and Peacock a surprise in third. Garden favourite the Small Tortoiseshell recorded its best Big Butterfly Count result yet, coming sixth.

Although the whites were very abundant it was the huge increase in Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock numbers that delighted the butterfly watching public. Both species have declined worryingly in recent years, but the Big Butterfly Count results are very promising, with Small Tortoiseshell numbers up by 388% compared to 2012 and Peacock numbers up by more than 3,500%.

In all, 15 of the 21 Big Butterfly Count species increased in 2013 compared with the previous year, and 12 of these were up by at least 50%.

Several species that fared particularly well last year dropped back considerably. Ringlet and Marbled White numbers fell by over 50% and counts of Meadow Brown and Six-spot Burnet moth were also down on 2012.

The warm weather has seen an increase of migrants from the Continent with Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady and Silver Y moth seen in impressive numbers. The Long-tailed Blue, a rare migrant from the Continent, has also been reported along the south coast of England, from Devon to Suffolk during August. The top ten species spotted were:

1 Small White
2 Large White
3 Peacock
4 Meadow Brown
5 Gatekeeper
6 Small Tortoiseshell
7 Green-veined White
8 Ringlet
9 Six-spot Burnet
10 Comma

[french frank]

A Turn-Up For The Book: I've just seen my first (and presumably last) Red Admiral of the season, a good two weeks or more after all the other denizens of my buddleia had departed. My favourite of the most common butterflies - I don't know why.

(Anna - I got an email when you did, but it didn't have all that information so I didn't bother to post it - then you got in with yours! Thanks.)

[Anna]

The only one on the Top Ten that I didn't see was the Six Spot Burnet, and I have rescued two more tortoiseshells that were hiding in the wardrobe! They advise catching them gently and putting them in a sunny spot so they can warm up and fly away. Also, important to leave windfalls so they can drink the liquid from them. I'll have to check the email again but I think they offered a free years subscription to Butterly Conservation and news of butterfly events/spotting?
Edit: I've just ordered that Patrick Barkham book you recommended.