Picture a crochet butterfly pattern that features beautiful shades of purple and lilac, accented with delicate white spots. It’s a pattern that brings out the elegance and charm of these colors ...

The coloring and wing patterns of the purple butterflies in the photos didn’t quite match any of the park’s known species, Braby wrote in the study. Intrigued, Braby visited the park himself ...

The purple emperor, with a wingspan of around 8cm, was sighted at Sheringham Park in Norfolk in June during a weekly survey to monitor butterfly populations over time.

His purple stole is embroidered with butterflies. But while unusual, the tactics of these butterfly chasers are nothing new. The tradition of baiting Purple Emperors goes back at least 250 years.