Apatura iris
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Apatura iris, the purple emperor, is a Palearctic butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Adults have dark brown wings with white bands and spots, and a small orange ring on each of the hindwings. Males have a wingspan of 70–80 millimetres (2.8–3.1 in), and have a purple-blue sheen caused by iridescence that the slightly larger (80–92 mm) females lack. The larvae (caterpillars) are green with white and yellow markings, and have two large "horns" at the anterior end and a smaller one at the posterior.
Females spend most of their lives in the tree canopy, favouring dense and mature oak woodlands, coming down only to lay their eggs on the small willow bushes that grow in clearings and bridleways. Males also spend much of their time in the tree tops, defending their territory from rivals, though they will sometimes descend to drink from puddles or feed. Unlike most butterflies, the purple emperor does not feed from flowers but instead on the honeydew secreted by aphids, sap oozing from oak trees, and on dung, urine, and animal carcasses.
Richard South noted that collectors once used animal carcasses "in a somewhat advanced state of decay" to lure the males down... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 3 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 4 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 5 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Hohe Tauern National Park | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 7 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Yekaterinburg | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Emperor sighting in Moscow on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 523rd most-seen of the 1111 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Emperor in Moscow on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Purple Emperor sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Purple Emperor sightings, Moscow ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Essen (Germany, under 5%) and Yekaterinburg (Russia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Purple Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Moscow (15 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
