Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Apaturinae |
| Genus: | Apatura |
| Species: | iris |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Purple Emperor is a magnificent and elusive insect that is actively sought out by the many subjects of "His Majesty", as the male butterfly is affectionately known. This butterfly spends most of its time in the woodland canopy where it feeds on aphid honeydew, with the occasional close encounter when it comes down to feed on sap runs or, in the case of the male, animal droppings, carrion or moist ground that provide much-needed salts and minerals. Those that make pilgrimages to see this spectacular creature will often try and lure the males down from the canopy using all manner of temptations - including banana skins and shrimp paste.
The male butterfly is one of the most beautiful of all of the butterflies found in the British Isles. From certain angles it appears to have black wings intersected with white bands. However, when the wings are at a certain angle to the sun, the most beautiful purple sheen is displayed, a result of light being refracted from the structures of the wing scales. The female, on the other hand, is a deep brown and does not possess the purple sheen found in the male.
This is one of the most-widely studied and written about butterflies in the British Isles. The classic work "Notes and Views of the Purple Emperor" by Heslop, Hyde and Stockley is dedicated to this butterfly, as is the modern-day equivalent - the excellent website The Purple Empire. This butterfly is confined to deciduous woodland in central southern England, between South Wiltshire and South Hampshire in the west, Surrey and West Sussex in the east, and Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire in the north, with scattered colonies elsewhere. It is not found in the north of England, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands and has not been seen in Wales since the 1930s. Colonies vary in size, some being very small with just a dozen or so adults forming a viable colony.
| #Individuals | #Tetrads | 2023 | 2024 | Abundance Trend | 2023 | 2024 | Distribution Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 81 | -52% | 27 | 20 | -25% |
| #Records | #Individuals | Earliest Record | Latest Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Records | 1,760 | 3,763 | 17/06/2017 | 23/08/2013 |
| 2024 | 39 | 81 | 25/6/2024 | 4/8/2024 |
| Location | Date | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest Record | Abbotts Wood | 25/6/2024 | 3 |
| Latest Record | Botley Wood | 4/8/2024 | 1 |
| Highest Count | Abbotts Wood | 3/7/2024 | 20 |
One of the issues with 'raw' trend data is that there is inherent bias based on the number of recorders. For example, the number of individuals and populated tetrads recorded are likely to increase if there is an increase in the number of recorders. In order to remove this bias, the normalised trends use data that has been recalculated using the average number of recorders over the trend period. This normalisation gives a much better picture of the true trends.
Average #Recorders: 30.44
Average #Recorders: 30.44