Purple Emperor

Auderghem, Belgium (July, 2013).
Eurasian butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. Adults have dark brown wings with white bands and spots, and a small orange ring on each of the hindwings. Males have a wingspan of 70–80mm, and have an iridescent purple-blue sheen that the slightly larger (80–92mm) females lack.
Habitat: Woodlands. Females spend most of their lives in the tree canopy, favouring dense and mature oak woodlands, coming down only to lay their eggs in the small sallow bushes that grow in clearings and rides.