Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Purple Emperor
Scientific Name:
Apatura iris
Also Known As:
His Majesty
Wingspan (mm):
Up to 85mm Description
The majestic Purple Emperor is the second largest Uk species, second only to the Swallowtail. The purple sheen thats present on the males can only be seen from certain angles and light conditions. This magnificent butterfly flies high in the tree-tops of well-wooded landscapes in central-southern England where it feeds on aphid honeydew and tree sap. The adults are extremely elusive and occur at low densities over large areas. The males occasionally descend to the ground, usually in mid-morning, where they probe for salts either from road surfaces or from animal dung.
Distribution
Restricted to large woods in southern England where they spend much of their time in the treetops.
Habitat
Woodlands, master tree's are used by males, they gather to attract the females and usually use large mature Oaks.
Diet
Goat Willow is the most widely used foodplant although it also breeds on Grey Willow and more rarely, Crack-willow. Eggs are laid on a wide range of tree sizes, ranging from medium-sized shrubs to tall canopy trees.
Status
It is a species of conservation concern in the UK, it seems to have had some re-expansion of its range in recent years. UK Biodiversity Action Plan: not listed Butterfly Conservation priority: medium European threat status: not threatened Protected in Great Britain
Did You Know?
Purple emperors are attracted to rotting meat, dung and sweat.