Purple Emperor

Scientific Name - Apatura iris

Flight Period - June to early August

Overwinters as - Larva

Habitat - Woodland

Larval foodplants - Sallow

Conservation status - UK BAP Species of Conservation Concern, BC Priority Medium

Northamptonshire distribution - Localised, but range increasing each year

Best public sites to see them - Bucknell Wood, Hazelborough Wood and Forest, Fermyn Wood, Salcey Forest

The Purple Emperor is one of Northamptonshire’s most magnificent butterflies, and each year they draw many visitors to the county hoping to see them. For most people, it is the male butterfly that they really hope to see, as despite it being smaller than the female it has a beautiful purple colour across its upperwings which the female lacks. The best place in the county to see Purple Emperors in terms of abundance and also the likelihood of seeing “grounded” males is the Fermyn Wood complex, particularly in Lady and Souther Wood. The males emerge slightly before the females and can spend lengthy periods of time on the ground extracting minerals from the woodland tracks. Once the females emerge their attention turns to mating and they spend a lot more time flying around the canopies of the Oaks and the Sallows. In recent years the Purple Emperor has increased its distribution significantly and has spread all over the county. They can now be seen in nearly all of our deciduous woodlands. Other good sites to look for Purple Emperors include Bucknell Wood, Hazelborough Forest and Wood and Salcey Forest.

Purple Emperor Distribution 2018 - 2022

Purple Emperor underwing

Male Purple Emperor upperwing

A Purple Emperor on the gate leading from the Horsebox Car Park in Salcey Forest

A Purple Emperor extracting the minerals from one of the tracks in Fermyn Woods

In their quest for minerals Purple Emperors can often seek them on the admiring public!

A Purple Emperor enjoying the new pay and display sign in Forestry England’s Salcey Forest