Shading

In this heatwave Purple Emperors have been seen down on the tracks at Knepp as early as - wait for it, and then blaspheme - 5.30am. They are very active, searching the sallows for females, from 7am.  

In the (extreme) heat of the day both sexes seem to be resorting to the shadier wood edges, particularly north-facing edges, where they bask in shade. The northern Browns (aethiops, epiphron and tullia) all conk out in tussocks during excessive heat, and iris does something similar in mid-afternoon in this heat.

Here's a male from today, basking in heavy shade in a blackthorn hedge -

  
And here's Herself, basking in full shade 6' up below a master tree infested by four of five males - 

Also, both sexes are feeding keenly on small sap bleeds on veteran oaks - the rides and tracks are arid, with little for them. Look out for the characteristic zig-zag flight of iris homing in on sap -