| Family | Nymphalidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Apaturinae |
| Genus | Apatura |
| Species | iris |
| Authority | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| English Name | Purple Emperor |
| European Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | |
| Bern Convention | |
| CITES |
The Purple Emperor inhabits damp, mature, deciduous woods with clearings in them. These woods often have different sorts of trees, stream valleys, and woodland rides. Male butterflies are often seen near puddles on the road and on the dung of other animals. They are also attracted to strongly smelling cheese. Various willows (Salix spp.) are used as foodplants, the female depositing her eggs preferably at the top of the tree, on the upperside of leaves that do not get the sun. The half-grown caterpillar spins itself a small cushion in the fork of a twig on which it hibernates. In the spring, it resumes feeding on the buds and fresh young leaves. It pupates, suspended from the underside of a leaf, and has one generation a year.
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