Apatura species

Apatura ilia

apatura ilia

Lesser purple Emperor

China

M A1 £ 5

apatura ilia verso



Apatura iris amurensis

apatura iris amurensis

Purple emperor

Russia

apatura iris amurensis verso



This lovely butterfly lives in the tree canopy of dense oak forests. Unlike most temperate butterflies it feeds on honeydew from aphids , as well as tree sap and rotting carcasses.

The eggs are laid on Sallow and poplar leaves in late summer.

Numbers are declining in Western Europe