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Hi all

Has anyone got any good sites for lesser purple emperor in the Loire? I will be there about the 10th August so I presume it'll be an okay time. Please feel free to PM if you don't feel it's suitable to share details on a public forum.

Regards

Steve

Nothing specific, but the two I have seen have been flying around the tops of poplars in close proximity to rivers/lakes.

The species is double-brooded and August might fall between the two broods - I have seen it in July and September.

Yes it does look like I'm likely to be between broods. If anyone has seen them in France around this date I'd be interested to know.

Regards

Steve

I've seen them in the Dordogne on 29th August in 2015, on my way down to Spain, not much help???
Russ

I saw my one and only sighting further south in the midi Pyrenees region (close to Foix) on the 27th of August 2015. It was grounded on a pathway beside a small river when I inadvertently put it up. It didn't go far and perched on a leaf just over head height enabling me to get off a few pictures before it eventually made off.

Good luck

I checked my records and found sightings in 18 different places in France, ranging from 31 May to 9 September, including several in August and one on 14 August in the Dordogne, so I don't think you should preclude the possibility.

As Matsukaze says, it is always found near to water. I've never seen it when it hasn't been near water.

Roger

Further to Roger's observations here's one from a riverside walk at Mauzac-et-Grand-Castang, Dordogne taken on 13th September, 2016.
It's of the clytie form. It's also very tatty, but was by no means the only one still about - I saw about a dozen during the week at several different sites. So viewing shouldn't be that much of a problem - it's getting a decent photo that's the tricky part...

In the Loire, the second brood is said to be on the wing from the beginning of August in good years but phenology charts for the region show this to be the low point nonetheless. Numbers build up during August. So the bad news is, you will be there before the main emergence. The good news is, the chances are that any you see will be wonderfully fresh (unless they're stragglers from the first brood ...)!

Guy

Photo 1 and 2 ,Male Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia) 4-09-2013.seen in the grounds of the Abbaye de Maillezais, Vendee France.The Emperor appeared late afternoon, perched in a willow tree and defended its territory against all intruders ,it even chased after a passing pair of Goldfinch !!.
Photo 3 and 4 photos taken near the Gorges du Verdon, Rougon, 27-07-2014.France.
The Emperor was taken by surprise by a lizard ,fortunately for the Emperor I was on hand to rescue it.See the Lizard and the Emperor on this Video,don't blink or you will miss it.
http://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/p295224355#h83483b82 Video of Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)
http://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com