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Natural History Photographs
by Cor Zonneveld
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Brush-footed Butterflies: family Nymphalidae
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subfamily Apaturinae
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Apatura iris - Purple Emperor
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Vosges, France; August 1994.
This male was `hiltopping'. Perched on a little bush on the top of
a flat mountain, it examined every insect -or tourist- that came by; and faithfully returned to its perch
every time.
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Reutte, Austria; July 1989.
Notice the yellow tongue, highly unusual for European butterflies! These photographs
clearly show that the purple shades are not pigmental, but due to reflection.
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Kell am See, Germany; 14 & 16 July 2008.
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Emperors often stay up in the trees, but occasionaly they descend to ground level.
This male is perching on charcoal remains of a campfire. After a few minutes it flew away, and I never saw it again at close
quarters.
Right photo: 'Feeding' on campfire ash. Notice the yellow tongue!
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