The Purple Emperor was first defined as a species, Apatura iris, in 1758. It is one of the UK's largest butterflies, second only to the Swallowtail. It has a wing span of up to 8.4cm (3.3in) ...

Purple Emperor Herbie Brennan. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, $17.95 (400pp) ISBN 978-1-58234-880-3. The sequel to Faerie Wars, which, according to PW, ""will bring much pleasure to fans of Eoin ...

A very frisky flutterer: The Purple Emperor spends his life boozing, fighting and fornicating for hours … well, wouldn’t you if you lived for just ten days?

The Purple Emperor is one of Britain's most elusive butterflies. But its beauty disguises gruesome habits.