Purple emperor – Apatura iris
Apatura iris, the purple emperor, is a Eurasian 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 an iridescent purple-blue sheen 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.

Apatura iris is widely distributed in dense, broadleaved woodlands throughout Central Europe including southern Britain, and in suitably temperate parts of Asia, including central and western China. Different subspecies are found across the region (see below).