Wingspan: 53–62 mm
Flight period of butterflies: in one generation from June to September
Larval food plants: species from the willow genus (Salix) and poplar (Populus)
The lesser purple emperor (Apatura ilia) belongs to the larger speckled butterflies and is only slightly smaller than its close relative the great purple emperor (Apatura iris). The black-brown upper side of the lesser purple emperor's wings merges into a blue-violet color. It is adorned with orange irregular spots that run in two rows parallel to the outer edge of the wings. These spots are white in the second color form, so these individuals closely resemble the larger relative, but the lesser purple emperor has, at the lower outer corner of the forewings (on the upperside), a false eye – an oval orange spot with a black center, which the large purple emperor does not have. The underside of the wings is also colorful, but here pastel shades of pink, gray, brown and orange predominate. The forewings on the underside are embellished with white spots and the false eye; along the outer edge, bluish-gray semicircular spots are strung.
The lesser purple emperor lives in forest clearings in deciduous forests and forested river valleys, often observable along forest roads. It spends most of its time in the tree canopies, and in dry weather it often drinks from puddles or sucks mineral nutrients from animal dung.
The lesser purple emperor is recognized in Slovenia as an endangered species and, as a vulnerable species (VU), is listed on the Red List.
