SHADING IN HIGH TEMPS

A quickie to emphasise that in excessive heat Purple Emperors, male and female, go shading. Look for them along shady leeward edges, often quite low down. These are often north--facing edges (west-facing in malte morning). They usually sit with closed wings in heat but will bask open-winged in shaded leafy caverns.  

The butterflyhas now been seen in all occupied counties, I think, bar Notts and Leics, where it must now be imminent.

Early indications are that this is not the great year I'd anticipated, due to losses during the cold spell in early June; but it may be that we'll get a longer emergence than usual, with a long, flatter peak.

Here's a shading male from Midsummer Day