12654_male_Isère_11Jul08

Forget Purple Emperor (Apatura iris) - this is one case where an Admiral outranks an Emperor! This butterfly is the real emperor, dwarfing iris for size, if not for iridescence. Its flight is magnificent, unforgettable. I had not seen one before 2008 and then saw three within one week. I thought then that it may be years before I see one again - but I did see one in 2009 alongside a river in the Alpes, which circled me a few times but sadly did not settle, and in 2010 I saw three individuals, possibly four, in the same location as 2008.

I made the understandable mistake at that time of looking rather than concentrating on getting a good photograph.

I saw populi in both 2014 and 2015, a single on each occasion, not that I had a photograph opportunity. Both sightings were in the Alpes-Maritimes where records of populi were sporadic at best. In fact, the OPIE Atlas shows only nine records ever from the Alpes-Maritimes. The more recent CEN-PACA Atlas shows more records in the Alpes-Maritimes, nearly all in the north of the département, and none in Var.

It is rather reclusive but the more recent sightings suggests that populi is more widespread than previously believed.

In 2024, on a visit to a riverside location in the Hautes-Alpes, I sadly encountered two populi on the road, one dead and one badly damaged. That did suggest that it might be a good location for populi and indeed at a damp roadside spot, two males were flitting around puddling. I spent an hour in their company and did remember to take photos. They were both of the form tremulae which have a very reduced, almost vestigial, uph post-discal band which is normally clearly white as in 41192 for example.

The female is even larger and very rarely seen, and I have yet to see one.

The underside is just as magnificent as the upperside, being a beautiful strong orange ground colour contrasting with a pale grey-blue hindwing border. The underside shows why it is an Admiral, a member of the Limenitis genus, rather than an Emperor of the Apatura genus - compare the design with the White Admiral (L. camilla) and the Southern White Admiral (L. reducta).

observations

at a fantastic riverside puddling place, a rather large but battered populi came down to take salts and gave a good photograph opportunity while engrossed. The next day, I revisited the site and another populi dropped down, the magnificently fresh male 12654. Again, it was difficult to approach for a photograph, disappearing as soon I got within 2m, but it did return each time (received wisdom says that it does not return to the same place if scared off, but maybe this does not apply when it's puddling), and patience was rewarded. The uph marginal markings were magnificent, much brighter than shown in T&L, especially the double blue lines. Just incredible.

a male, with very much reduced white markings especially in the discal area of the uph. This was taking salts on the ground at a nearby camp site, where the shower and toilet block were a magnet for 22506 and several other species.

a male, not quite as strongly marked as 12654, especially in respect of the uph orange submarginal crescents.

a male, the underside of 22650.

a male, the underside of 12654.