Mon June 30th

I don't want this June to end...

Started the day by seeing a male Brown Hairstreak at Knepp (one was seen there yesterday, and I heard a rumour of one on Saturday 28th!). Time was when this butterfly would start at the end of July in a good summer... We used to regard it as the Herald of Autumn. We used to start seeing Vapourer moths in late July too - now, they're dashing about at Knepp from mid-June...

Purple Emperor is now at peak at Knepp.  Saw two egg-laying females today. I think just about all the males are now out, and I don't expect any more to descend to the tracks to feed - they've gone through that stage. In a few days time they'll stop sallow searching and start taking the mornings off.  

Ended up watching a guestimated 25-36 around a classic oak 'feeder tree', where there are several feeding points. They were in constant view. The most I saw in a vista was 12, and I only managed to photo a few foursomes, like this -

They kept getting disturbed by hornets, and also performed several 'tumbledowns', in which mated females dance to near the ground in an effort to rid themselves of God's Gift males. 

Elsewhere, good to hear of a lovely male ab. lugenda in one of the south Northants woods. I've still only seen a lone aberration at Knepp, a very pale female.  

The greatness of this Purple Emperor year will be judged by the number of new districts, counties and even countries (come on Wales!) in which it turns up! In truly great years it really does put itself about...

 

Sun June 29th: We Have Lift-off!

This is turning into an all-time great Purple Emperor year. At Knepp, I'm now thinking it's even better than 2018, but haven't got the data yet (and Knepp was far more open, and PEs far more visible then - the sallow thickets have grown up massively).  

I ended up watching the evening flight along a west-facing oak edge which includes a popular sap feeding tree. Here are 4 males feeding close together, but at one point we saw 8 males feeding along a 3m length of this branch, but they kept being disturbed by Hornets - 

All told, I saw in excess of 200 probable individuals at Knepp today, in a ten hour day, and 67 on the PE transect.

This included seeing the first eggs laid, and four 'tumbledowns' (mated females rejecting amorous males).

And we had a fresh Brown Hairstreak out at Knepp... and Brimstones.

Elsewhere, great to hear of sightings at Sandringham in N Norfolk and at Strumpshaw Fen in the Yare valley downstream of Norwich. 

That's it for today: as the (iratating) 1970s song goes, 'I can see clearly now, my brain has gone...' 

June 28th 2025 Battered but Unbowed

 

His Excellency came to greet me in Hell's Coppice, Bernwood, Buckinghamshire at lunchtime.After circling me a number of times he then sat on a birch leaf before coming down to feed on the track for a few minutes. Looks like he has taken quite a battering from the wind these past few days but was still capable of strong flight and was last seen searching the sallows nearby for females

Spent the morning in Waterperry Wood, Oxfordshire on the opposite side of the road and managed a good count of six males cruising the oak and sallow tops but no grounding.Love watching them gliding above the trees with a backdrop of cloudless blue sky and the sun shining through their white wing markings

Sat June 28th: Windy, again...

Another windy day, which hindered Emperorial activity. In particular, many males are failing to set up territories due to the wind, and are struggling to get in to feed on oak sap - and they are desperate to feed in this hot, dry weather.  

At Knepp, males are still emerging, just. Many, though, are a bit battered - it's wind damage, like this one here, photographed feeding this morning.  He is probably only a couple of days old -

Tomorrow should be mega, as the wind is forecast to drop. They'll make up for lost time (they've only been half-active these last three days due to the wind)...

Other news:- 

* Great to hear that His Gloriousity has been seen in the garden at Hardwick Hall (NT), Derbyshire.

* Great to hear that He's turned up in the NW corner of Leicestershire.

* Great to hear that a lovely male aberration (reduced bands and spotting) has been photoed in Fermyn Woods - so, Fermyn is back on form...

* Better still, a male has just been photoed on a Buddleia in Spotborough, near Doncaster, Yorkshire.

Can someone please rediscover Apatura iris in Herefordshire... ... ...

 

 The North

For the purposes of this blog, the north means  habitats north of Fermyn forest.

1. Cotgrave Forest, south Nottinghamshire, is the best habitat so far, with 6 individuals recorded for several days running.

2. Private wood east of Clumber Park, 2 specimens

3. South Derbyshire, several specimens seen in the last week. Obviously establishing in this area of the National Forest.

4. Wellow wood, Nottinghamshire. Several seen in the last week, including 3 in a nearby pig farm

5. Sherwood forest: just one so far, near the Major Oak.

6. Hardwick hall herb garden: one seen, unexpectedly

7. Chambers Farm Wood Lincs. Numbers relatively modest so far.

June 27th: Wind-rocked, again

Back at Knepp again. Started the PE transect, a 2km route, at 12.30: immediately the wind sprang up, and soon reached Fresh strength, and then it became too cloudy. Rip-off Britain! I still counted 56, the 4th highest count in 12 years of diligent recording (we wont use today's data, too weather-damaged). 

I saw well over a hundred individuals today, including 3 males down on the ground, feeding, and six females. However, many males are now looking decidedly worn and ragged, like this (today's pics) - 

and this feeding male (today). He's probably much younger than he looks, as older males do not feed on the ground -

Even this female was looking slightly past her best - 

This is because they are suffering wind damage up in the oak sprays.

My guess is that the male emergence at Knepp is almost complete, bar a few latecomers who fed on late-leafing sallows; though there must still be a large number of females to emerge.  

When the wind drops, Knepp is going to erupt...

Many thanks to Alex Potts for sending in this lovely photo of a male drinking at a pond somewhere near Alice Holt Forest. I think it's PE photo of the year -

As an indication of just how 'early' a season this is, Brown Hairstreak was seen in Surrey today (and I saw a 2nd brood Brown Argus yesterday in Gloucestershire). As an astounded Fred Trueman used to say on Test Match Special, "I doan't know what's going off out there anymore...".

To the woods, the lot of you...

June 26th: The Lime Tree Bower...

A windy day today, again - some Emperors are getting shredded, already, but they are numpties, roosting in treetop sprays...

Good to see six probable males in my local parish today, notably this thug on territory at Sapperton Broad Ride (near Daneway Banks on the butterflying map) - 

Six doesn't sound much, and isn't compared to Knepp's incredible numbers, but it is the highest number recorded in modern Gloucestershire, and may even be the all-time record for the county... 

Emperors favour limes. The tree has dense-foliage, and so provides shelter from wind; and both sexes also feed on the honeydew (aphid secretion) which can proliferate on lime leaves. Here's one of the lime tree territories at Knepp (light green leafage), it's on the Purple Emperor route -

It's along an east-facing wood edge, and is especially good in a west wind. 

I'm heading back to Knepp tomorrow, for peak season.  DO VISIT, it's incredible this year... This weekend will see peak numbers there.  

Good to hear of NINE being seen in a vista in Fermyn Woods today. That's the most I've ever heard of being seen there (my best was a couple of sevens), and brings back memories of Fermyn's glory days, back in the 2009-2013 era.  

Also great to learn that iris has reappeared in Derbyshire this year, in the Ticknall area (National Forest), where I said it would be.

Finally, a warning about 'groundings' (males feeding on the ground). Do not expect to see males coming to the ground after the start of July, anywhere. They only do it during the early days of their lives, and this year's emergence is coming out fast. I doubt any will be seen feeding on tracks during the weekend of July 5th and 6th, at least in the southern parts of the Empire.  

Do Not Miss Out On This Weeekend...

 

 

June 25th: From The Malverns to the Broads...

The 2025 Purple Emperor season just gets better...

Males have now been found hill-topping in the central Malverns, slap bang on the Herefords/Worcs border. There are no modern records from Herefordshire, but it should be nicely Purple. 

This is on the arid summit of the Malverns ridge, above the wooded lower slopes (where sallows grow). Males have been seen perching on bracken fronds and low saplings, and sparring from those perching positions.

They're known to behave like this in hilly and mountainous regions abroad, and there's a hilltop in Leicestershire where males have been seen setting up territories in similar situations, but this is out of our box... 

The hilltop in question is one of the arid ones to the right of centre in the middle distance (photo taken this May from Midsummer Hill) -

And if that's not barking mad enough, a male has been photoed hitching a lift on a wherry (old sailing barge) on the River Yare just east of Norwich, upstream of Strumpshaw Fen in The Broads.  

Other News:-

* A pristine female ab. lutescens (we think), was photoed today in Heart of England Forest, SW Warwicks - white bands and spots replaced by a brightish yellow. 

* 23 males and a female seen in Straits Inclosure of Alice Holt Forest this morning, including a chase of four. I'm fairly certain that that's the best tally from The Straits since 2010 (most of the main ride sallows got felled early in 2011). 

* Numbers at Knepp are now so great that it looks as though this year is going to eclipse 2018 there (read Chapter 15 of His Imperial Majesty, and salivate). Today, Neil Hulme counted 71 on the PE transect there, beating the previous record transect counts of 66 and 60 in 2018.

* Advise. Visit Knepp this weekend, at all cost (scroll back on this Blog for visiting details, it's in white font).

* Remember, our Vision is for this butterfly to become so common that Radio 5live's Traffic News announces one late June afternoon that, "the M25 in Surrey is closed in both directions due to swarms of ...giggle ... Purple ... giggle ... Emperor ... giggle ... butterflies!"  That's what Ambition looks like...

A Midsummer Day's Dream...

Arrived in Savernake, on route home, at 12.30. Straight in on a huge male feeding on something left behind by one of the over-many canine visitors. Of course, photos don't show size, but he was a Big Boy (Sav supports an unusually large race). He wasn't fully coloured up, suggesting he'd emerged this morning - 

I then went on to do a territories count along Three Oak Hills Drive. Although it was too windy, and it clouded up for the final third (so I had to spot perched males through binoculars, luckily I know the favoured perching spots), I managed to count 13 males and a female (who was being courted, I think successfully but they flew out of sight). I think my highest territories count along 3OHD is 14 males, so this was impressive, especially considering the weather.  

Last autumn, I rescued a PE larva from a huge storm-blown sallow, which would have perished. I took it home, and reared it in my garden sleeve, calling it Pet Rescue. (I rear one, two or three each winter, to help me through the winter). 

She emerged yesterday evening, having been in the pupal state for 18 days. Today, I took her back home and released her. I placed her on a felled beech trunk. She posed for five minutes and then ascended to bask on beech foliage. I'm going to miss her forever...

More tomorrow, including Apatura iris in the Malverns...  I'm going to bed, with my cat.

Mon June 23rd: OMG!

Briefly, as I'm all-in. Despite a Fresh NW wind, the Knepp Emperors amazed today, utterly. Very few of the male territories were occupied - too windy; they were oak edging, sallow searching and oak sap feeding instead. 

But I still managed to see in excess of 125 individuals, including at least 6 females.

Sightings included one hapless (virgin) female being headily pursued by nine, repeat, nine males (cue the Benny Hill Show signature tune); and a blizzard of at least a dozen males plus one or two females, flying amongst the branches of the favoured feeder tree, after oak sap in the early evening (Patrick's Tree, for those who know Knepp).

To put this into context, to the best of my knowledge (and I should know), only five living people have seen ten or more Purple Emperors at at time in England: Ken Willmott at Bookham Common in 1983; Neil Hulme at Knepp in 2018 and again last Friday and today; Dennis Dell with me at Knepp in 2018; Kat Dahl with Neil at Knepp last Friday; and me, once at Knepp in 2018 and now twice today. 

I don't think anyone's managed more than seven in a vista in Fermyn Woods, but am happy to be corrected.  

Here's two of this evening's pics -

That's four males clustered together around a small sap bleed.

That's 2 males and a female (on the right, with a broader, creamier hind wing band) on another sap run.

At Knepp, it's now looking that 2025 may even be better than 2018...  GET HERE!  

Other news. Dorset has at last declared itself Purple for the year (congrats to Dave Law for his persistence). 

Now where's that drink?!

 

Windy Sunday! June 22nd

Back at Knepp today, where despite a Fresh SW wind I managed to see exactly100 Purple Emperors (probable individuals), including just three females (all being severely bothered by males). This is the first time I've managed to get the hundred up for several years...

Pleased to share this hungry fellow with 20 or so other people - 

So far this season at Knepp, I've managed to show over fifty visitors their very first Emperor - and charged each one of them never to forget it...

The butterfly is by no means fully out at Knepp. My guess is that about half of the emergence is still to come, so this is National Throw a Sickie and Go Emperoring Week...

However, it looks likely to be a particularly windy week. Wednesday is likely to be the calmest day, so I'll do the Knepp PE Transect then. That will tell us just how good this year's emergence is... At this stage, 2025 seems to be challenging the Great and Immortal 2018 emergence... ... ...

Fingers crossed, but it looks as though another big anticyclone will be over the Empire for next weekend - in time for Peak Season. You may need to skip next Saturday's wedding too...

Elsewhere, it seems that His Gloriousity is now out in all known Purple counties, apart from Dorset and Norfolk (will Dorset and Norfolk please Come Out)...

 

Sat June 21st: Summer Solstice

And the sun actually shone at the Stonehenge Solstice sunrise...

However, a plume of warm cloud, carrying rain that died before it landed, rather blotted out the morning in the western parts of the Empire (it was on its way to Headingley, to interrupt the test match there).  

And with the afternoon sun, came a Fresh SE wind - a Clouded Yellow wind perhaps...

Further east, conditions were better for Emperoring, and a lot of impressive doings have been reported - many of them involving males feeding on the ground (usually on something vile). Lots of pics like this doing the rounds on social media - 

The year's second female was reported, in Heartwood Forest, Hearts.

Good to hear of (yet another) sighting in Winchester, a truly Purple city, and the butterfly being seen in Suffolk.  

I'm heading back to Knepp (very) early tomorrow. Yesterday, ten were seen in a vista there...  

 

To the Woods!

 It's now clear that Purple Emperors are emerging in superb numbers. This weekend is going to be MEGA...

Everyone reading this Blog should be out Emperoring this weekend. No excuses, skip the wedding, even if it's yours... You may see things like this -

Some sites / districts are only just kicking off now. Today, I was in a superb (but very private) Emperor wood need Woodstock in Oxon, and felt it was Day 1 or Day 2 there (a scatter of freshly emerged males, who were not holding territory, but were wandering slowly around, exploring their Empire - classic freshly emerged male behaviour...).

Elsewhere, the butterfly has now been seen in Berks, Middx, Notts and Warwicks (Oversley Wood).  

Knepp produced the first female of the year today, and a large number of males.  

If you're unsure of where to go, or are a newcomer to Emperor, visit Knepp - scroll back on this Blog for visiting details.

In the immortal words of our inspirational leader, IRP Heslop of Notes & View of the Purple Emperor (1964) fame: 'To the woods, without breakfast!'

  

 Northern iris.

The specimen seen in Cotgrave wood Nottinghamshire on 18/6 is, according to the recorder, Stephen Mathers, an all time early date for this county by six days!

 Northern iris.

Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire have declared themselves purple in the last couple of days

Well Worth the Wait 20th June 2025

Hot and humid with strong sun only appearing mid morning brought a slow start for me at Bernwood with one reported in the car park fairly early but then no further contact until late morning  when a male was  briefly on the deck feeding along the butterfly trail near the cross roads and an hour later another male spent at least 45 mins feeding in a muddy culvert by the main track. Despite regularly checking the oaks none seen flying above them or perched aloft. Delighted to see the males in pristine condition.

June 19th: Boil-in-the-bag Emperoring...

30 degrees Celsius in the Empire today, and not a breath of wind, and never a cloudlet... Congrats to all who braved it.

Knepp News: A big emergence there today, and about a dozen seen feeding on the tracks. Interestingly, they didn't conk out in the mid-afternoon heat, like they did yesterday - probably because there were so many of them about. They wind each other up.

I drove back home for a couple of days, via Savernake. Instant Emperor there, looking for moisture on a very dusty Grand Avenue. A second coming down to feed, but only a solitary male in any of the territories (the infamous Dead Beech Glade). Very early days in Sav. Here's No 2, feeding on the aphid 'honeydew' secretion (there's actually a bit of honeydew around this summer for them) -

Elsewhere, Leicestershire has declared itself Purple for the year, and Hatfield Forest in Essex, and Trench Wood in Worcs, but none yet in Notts. Also good to hear of a male in the FC Research Centre grounds at The Lodge, Alice Holt Forest. 

Any news from Kent?! Must be out there...

This is looking like a very good Purple Emperor summer... (The only butterflies faring poorly are large blue, whose larvae fail in dry springs, and the poor Ringlet).  

Onward! and take plenty of water with you...

Northern iris

 Early in the north, too.

Toby Ludlow saw a male in Chambers farm wood today; He will confirm that it is the earliest sighting for this wood 

18th June

At Knepp, Emperors started sallow searching today - cruising the sallow thickets in search of females and, worse, female pupae. They start this when females are due to emerge...

On the oak territories, they got becalmed and heat suppressed from 12.45, till a light southerly helpfully sprang up at 2.45, then they went silly (they're having a fantastic time chasing off groups of teenage Jackdaws).

Three or four were seen feeding on the tracks, but the tracks are very dry and the dung is drying up fast (incidentally, we have never seen PE on pig dung here).   

There hasn't been a mass emergence here yet, just a steady stream. Big Bang will probably happen over the weekend.  

This season at Knepp, I have already shown 30 people their first ever Emperors - and charged them never to forget...

                    'What we have loved, others will love;                                                   and we may teach them how...' 

                    Wordsworth, Prelude XIII

Elsewhere, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire have now all kicked off, and the first Emperor of the year has been seen in Bentley Wood, Wilts. There are an impressive number of sightings in unusual places, including two 'new' sites along the Cotswold escarpment in Glos - already.  

This weekend should be MEGA... To the woods!

 

   

First Appearance 18th June 2025

My first encounter with His Majesty in Bernwood Forest this morning.A pristine male descended from the surrounding oaks seeking minerals from the sun baked track but seemed dissatisfied after four separate and sadly all too brief landings on the ground and retreated to the top of an oak to sulk

Breaking News 17th June

Purple Emperors were seen today in - wait for it - Fermyn Woods in East Northants, and Tiddesley Wood, Worcs. The Fermyn sighting equals the earliest record for there.

In addition, I'm waiting for confirmation of a sighting in Savernake Forest, Wilts (normally a 'late' site).

Today, I walked the Purple Emperor transect at Knepp - and counted 13. That's remarkable for Day 3 of the flight season there. I may do it again tomorrow.  

'Big Bang!' (main pulse of male emergence) hasn't started at Knepp yet, it's imminent.

Here's Vicious Thug of the Day. He'd just chased off one of Knepp's White Storks, and was lining up a flock of teenage Jackdaws -

and cherry stoned fox scats are back on the menu at Knepp - 

Also at Knepp, at least two males seen feeding on the tracks this afternoon - but the tracks are bone dry, and the animal dung is desiccating fast in this heat.

This weekend is going to be mega for this butterfly. Skip the wedding, and get out into the woods... 

  

 

Opening day of the old coarse fishing season...

Knepp. Eight males recorded, including two feeding on the tracks and two pairs of clashing males, led by this thug who in the space of 15 minutes saw off another male, a Carrion Crow and a Chaffinch, pulverised a Large White a splatted a Purple Hairstreak. #NormalforKnepp.

Other news. PE seen in N Wilts today (Braydon Forest). So far this season (Day 3 nationally), PEs have been seen in Surrey, Hants, W Sussex, Essex and Wilts. 

 

Sunday June 15th: More Beginnings

Wonderful to see my first Emperor of 2025 today at Knepp: 2 males, squabbling (and eviscerating an early Purple Hairstreak) half way down Green Lane (the oak canopy gap just N of Green Lane Pond, for those who know Knepp, it's a Primary Territory).  Here's His Bossiness - 

However, the early part of the afternoon was cloudy, and a trifle windy, and I had to finish early to meet Knepp's lovely volunteers. Tomorrow should see the first decent emergence of the year here...

Emperors have also been seen in Alice Holt Forest, Hants/Surrey border, and at Havering Country Park (NE edge of Gtr London), by Laurence Drummond.  

Here's the data for the first Emperors at Knepp -

2014        18th June            2020        13th June

2015        30th June            2021        2nd July

2016        27th June            2022        16th June

2017        15th June            2023        20th June

2018        17th June            2024        17th June

2019        25th June            2025        15th June

So, mid-June is new-normal!  

More anon...

Out!

Welcome to the 2025 Purple Emperor season! It could be a cracker...

The first male was seen on territory today at Bookham Common, Surrey, by Colin Kemp, an experienced observer. Fifty years ago, the first of the Great 1975 Emperor season was seen at Bookham, by ace Emperophile Ken Willmott.

Strangely, none was seen yesterday or today down the road at Knepp, though it was windy there today. I'm heading Kneppwards first thing tomorrow, staying for a few days to help with the Purple Experience... We're expecting a large emergence there, and in that whole region - fingers crossed.

Early, 'pioneer', males are great wanderers, casing out their empire, moving from territory to territory, exploring - but keeping out of the wind, keeping ever leeward. These explorers are capable of doing anything, repeat anything...

There should be a massive emergence very soon in the 'early' part of the Empire - Sussex, Surrey, East Hampshire, Kent, the London area and Oxon, but note that males probably wont be feeding from the tracks before midweek at the earliest.

Look up, in awe and wonder!   

I'll try to update this Blog daily, but do post your own musings...

    

Imminent!

The race for the first Emperor of 2025 is on. His Eminence is Imminent...

After a worrying late May - early June wobble, the weather is set to improve, and the second half of June is looking good.

There should be a sudden spectacular emergence, though I suspect that this Big Bang will happen after the coming weekend - and there are, of course, 'early' and 'late' districts. The first sightings are likely to come from Sussex, Surrey or East Hampshire, possibly Oxfordshire - and Kent, if people look there properly.  

Note that the White Admiral is already quite well out, and early males of camilla often fly high. Also, beware of mistaking early Emperors for high flying Silver-washeds or Red Ads. As it sayeth in the Good Book, beware of false prophets, for many will come in my name... 

There is a Purple Emperor WhatsApp group, over 60-members strong, dedicated to pushing back the frontiers of knowledge on this species. To join, WhatsApp me on 07771 971488. Please note, though, that this is primarily a research group, not a photographers network - the pics are welcome on this blog. We'd love to have someone who works the Kentish Emperors, or the Emperors of Kent, and someone who works Bentley Wood!

To the woods, and look UP! 

Visiting Knepp

 Knepp Wildland will again be welcoming visitors to see Purple Emperors this June and July.  The butterfly is likely to be on the wing there from around June 16^th to late July, peaking during the last week of June. 

Knepp’s famous Purple Emperor Safaris, established 2014, are just about fully booked (some places available for June 24^th and 27^th).  Also, there are spaces available for general Butterfly Safaris on June 19^th and 22^nd, and also July 20^th, 22^nd and 24^th (the July dates could be very late in the Purple Emperor season).  See https://knepp.co.uk/safaris/. 

The self-guided Purple Emperor Walk will run along the same route as 2024, starting from the Visitor’s carpark at Knepp’s Wilding Kitchen & Shop just off the A24 at Dial Post [location (https://what3words.com/remains.icebergs.race).  It follows the Red Route.  A printed route map will be available in the shop. 

Purple posts have been erected at main viewing points (mainly male territories), though activity levels depend upon cloud cover and, especially, wind speed and direction.  Males are on territory from about 12.25. 

Again, the black barn along Green Lane will function as Purple Emperor HQ from June 16^th till July 7^th, with Knepp volunteers likely present there at weekends (11am – 4pm) and on weekdays (12pm – 4pm).  There will also be people, myself included, wandering or cycling around the route to assist visitors. 

This is a long walk and a lengthy visit – Knepp ’s not a pop-in site.  Come for the day, and enjoy the shop and food facilities (cake is an essential part of the Purple Emperor season…). You can have breakfast and lunch at the café. There is a BBQ on Friday evenings and evening meal on Saturday evenings. Purple Emperor males can even be seen in the oak canopy gaps along the hilltop lane from the west side of the shop! 

Purple Emperor numbers could be unusually high this season, due to the fine spring, though much depends on flight season weather. 

Males may be feeding along the tracks, at almost any time of day though especially in mid-morning, though this behaviour will cease at the start of July (it’s an early season phenomenon).  Late in the season you’re unlikely to see any Emperors before noon.

Crucially, for Emperors, always look on the sheltered leeward side, even if that’s the shady side.  That is where there’ll be.  Most sightings are in or around canopy gaps between veteran oaks.  

Knepp Wildland holds by far the largest Purple Emperor population in England, but is not a one-trick wonder.  You will see White Storks, and may hear Turtle Doves.  The Purple Hairstreak is likely to be numerous there this year, and Knepp also offers a scattering of White-letter Hairstreaks, White Admirals, Silver-washed Fritillaries and many Marbled Whites and other commoner butterflies.  Enjoy! 

UV Torching for Pupae

Nowadays, the Purple Emperor flight season is preceded by the pupae torching season...

Emperor pupae, and pupating larvae, flouresce strongly under powerful UV torchlight, whilst suspended from leaf undersides. They can be spotted at 10m distance with the right torch (I use The UV Beast 365nm, but Alonefire SV43 365nm sounds great too). Most pupae are high up in sallow tops.  

In addition to Neil Hulme & Kat Dahl's nine in an hour at Knepp last week, Mark Tutton & Dan Moles found at least seven pupae in Alice Holt Forest, Hants, last night. This further suggests a huge emergence this year, weather permitting... (time was when we'd be wowed by nine or even seven adults in an hour, anywhere).

I was pleased to find this new pupating larva in the upper Frome valley west of Cirencester, Glos, last night, spotted and photoed at 10m distance -

Good News! Knepp Castle Estate will once again be running it's Self-guided Purple Emperor walk this season, probably from June 16th to mid-July. I'll put details on this Blog when they're finalised, but basically the route will be the same as last year.   

 

Delayed Start!

The weather's now doing what we least want it to do...

This means that the start of the 2025 Emperor season is being delayed.

My prediction is that an early male will be seen at Knepp at 2.30pm on June 11th, but that's only because I'm giving a poetry reading in Marlborough then, and we know that some larvae pupated before the weather deteriorated in late May. 

Recent weather deems it unlikely that the butterfly will start properly before June 16th at 'early' sites, and June 20th - 21st elsewhere. 

This is proving to be a difficult season to predict.  

Recent night forays on my patch, using UV torches to detect flourescing larvae and pupae, have been decidedly disappointing - a lot of final instar larvae appear to have gone AWOL, I don't know why... They may have gone walkabout.

However, Neil Hulme & Kat Dahl 'torched' nine larvae and pupae in under an hour at Knepp late last week, suggesting a potentially massive emergence there - weather permitting.

Here's a pupating larva