A large European woodland butterfly that has iridescent purplish-black wings with white markings.
Apatura iris, subfamily Apaturinae, family Nymphalidae
Example sentencesExamples
- The magnificent Purple Emperor is probably the British butterfly most admired and most sought by butterfly watchers, breeders, photographers and general naturalists alike.
- Many consider the Purple Emperor, affectionately known as "His Majesty", to be a great rarity, and even people with only a passing interest in butterflies will make annual pilgrimages to its sites to glimpse it.