Purple Emperor

[NickB]

I wish you luck; not everyone can add that to their garden list

[Pauline]

Great story Philip - we'll all be round to yours next year then !

P.

[P.J.Underwood]

Thinking further about this subject-namely attracting purple emperors to my garden-it does seem that the females exude pheromones that the males are able to detect from great distances by receptors on their antennae and feet.So if one can isolate these chemicals and spray some in one's garden ,it should have the desired effect.In the case of the P.E.'s I suspect it is something like Vietnamese shrimp paste.It could be a line for future research-the pheromones of the different species of butterflies.
P.J.U.

[Piers]

Much work has been done in this field PJU, and of course continues to be. An example of a practical application is pheremones acting as the base for many species-specific traps for crop-pests in an attempt to find methods of control that do not have adverse effects upon the local environment.

Piers.

[NickB]

Most of the males that have landed on myself and others have been intent on extracting some mineral or other from our clothes or skin....
....thankfully, since the thought of being surrounded by amorous PEs, trying to mate with you, does not sit well.....
Good luck with that one, PJ
N
I think Neil's Shito fish paste has to be the real thing...
download/file.php?id=1704
..lord knows what the STRONG stuff is like.....