www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

My son and I saw the most amazing butterfly yesterday and found through your website that it was a purple emperor butterfly. Looking at their flighttime though, it would be too early.

Is there anything else out there being that size and colour, which I haven't spotted on your chart?

crane

Can't think of anything offhand. This could be an escapee from some captive-bred stock (which may have emerged early), or an escapee from a butterfly farm. But Purple Emperors are quite distinctive in their habits (flying around the tops of oak trees, and only coming down to feed).

Which part of the country are you in?

Cheers,

- Pete

I'm halfway between Guildford and Horsham in Surrey. We have several big Oaks nearby, but I have not seen this butterfly before.

crane

I'd say deffo a Purple Emperor. Oaken Wood/ Chiddingfold complex is between Guildford and Horsham and that's a prime site for Purple Emperors. Saw two there last Sunday on a Surrey BC branch walk. Maybe it was an early emergence due to the good weather.

Danny