is the 2026 Purple Emperor season...
This pupa, photographed in Savernake Forest, Wilts, on June 9th is set to emerge (as a male) on Saturday June 13th - and Savernake is not an 'early' site.
Also in Savernake, is the Bumble Oak, a veteran oak outside the FC loos at Postern Hill picnic site. It has a copious sap run, on which Emperors, Empresses, Red Ads, hornets, wasps and numerous flies feed (including some scarce hoverflies). Note the soft white sugary beads. Note that Emperors feed with closed wings, only, and are forever being chased off sap runs by hornets.
Emperors hold territories in sheltered canopy gaps up in some of the nearby oaks.
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