They're out to bait the Purple Emperor, one of Britain's most elusive butterflies, whose beauty disguises some filthy feeding habits. You never forget your first time, says butterfly enthusiast ...

In just six generations of selection, they took a brown butterfly and shifted it to a rich, purple color. The species chosen for this work was Bicyclus anynana, an African species that also goes ...

Philip has also spotted a Purple Emperor this year in Knepp Safaris in Horsham, West Sussex. The butterfly, one of the largest in the UK, is confined to central and southern England woodland.