I saw this lovely butterfly years ago, in August of 2013 in the middle of the city, in Graz, Austria, sitting on a bicycles weathered-looking handlebar. The purple color was shimmering depending on how the light was falling on it's wings.
There are two types of Purple Emperor butterflies, the Purple Emperor (Apatura iris) and the Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia). Looking at the different pictures of the subtle differences between the two, I am pretty sure that this one is a Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia).
They are common in Central Europe, and southern Britain, as well as in some areas of Asia.
As of now, this is my only butterfly photograph... But maybe I will come across others in the future!
Have a great Thursday everyone! 🙋😺😺😺