Sighted at Mulino del Cantone on 3rd July 2004, female, while it was feeding on oak lymph

Apaturas are among the few local butterflies with metallic colouring.  The particular sheen is visible only at certain angles. The species is distributed throughout Europe and in Italy is  limited to the Alpine Region.

It is the male of the species that sports the blue sheen with metallic reflections over blackish wings with some white spots.

The colouring of the underside of the wings of this lovely butterfly is refined but without the highlights.

It appears in one generation between June and August and flies in woodlands high up in the tree tops; you can come across some that fly low to feed on lymph or dung and not from flowers as one might expect! It is also attracted to carrion of small vertebrate; the  Apatura iris is always extremely suspicious and flies off at the small hint of being approached or threatened.

Larvae, live on  willows e poplars, are green and plump; they are easy to identify thanks to the two small hornlike features on the head – they also transform into chrysalides without leaving the host tree after having passed the winter. 

This butterfly flies in May-June and August September with two annual generations in green woodland rich with willows and poplars

Photo © by Mario Maier. Apatura iris, Juli 1996, Katzenstein / Bayern