Lesser Purple Emperor

Apatura ilia

The Lesser Purple Emperor is a beautiful butterfly with purple and brown wings. It loves to flutter around in sunny spots and can be seen resting on tree trunks.

Hábitat: Forests

Aspecto

The Lesser Purple Emperor is a medium-sized butterfly with dark brown to black wings featuring prominent white bands and spots. Males boast an iridescent purple sheen on their forewings, which appears and disappears with changing light angles, making them distinct from similarly marked species.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenLepidopteraFamiliaNymphalidaeGéneroApatura

Lesser Purple Emperor

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Instead of flowers, these butterflies love to drink sweet juices from tree wounds.

Male butterflies sometimes land on people to sip salts from their sweaty skin!

The chrysalis (pupa) of this butterfly looks like a beautiful green jewel hanging from a leaf.

Their caterpillars look like tiny green aliens with two little horns on their heads!

Habilidades especiales

Lesser Purple Emperor has a magical purple shimmer that helps them vanish into dappled sunlight or blend with tree bark when they tilt their wings.

Lesser Purple Emperor can slurp up sugary tree sap and rotting fruit using their long proboscis, finding energy where other butterflies can't.

Lesser Purple Emperor can fiercely defend its favorite perching spots high in the trees, bravely chasing away rival butterflies and even birds.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 45-60 mm
Tamaño: 20-30 mm
Esperanza de vida: 15-20 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 15 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

Adults prefer tree sap and rotting fruit, while caterpillars munch on tree leaves.

Diferencias por edad: Larvae (caterpillars) feed exclusively on the leaves of willow and poplar trees, whereas adults primarily consume tree sap, rotting fruit, and honeydew, rarely visiting flowers.

Alimentos principales

Tree sap
Rotting fruit
Honeydew
Willow leaves
Poplar leaves

Método de búsqueda

Foraging

Conexiones ecológicas

eats

Goat Willow

Salix caprea

Larvae feed on its leaves

shelters

Pedunculate Oak

Quercus robur

Adults often perch on its branches

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

Bird predators prey on adults

eats

Aspen

Populus tremula

Caterpillars feed on its leaves

Rasgos

Social

Los animales sociales viven en grupos organizados, cooperando para obtener beneficios de supervivencia como la búsqueda de alimento, la defensa y la cría de descendencia.