The purple emperor is a stunningly beautiful butterfly with the male donning a vibrant purple sheen. It takes wing between June and August, although higher numbers exist in late summer. To spot one you may need a pair of binoculars as they spend much of their time in treetops feeding on aphid honeydew. However, for a closer look, males can be seen flying to the ground around mid-morning to feed on salts and sugars in damp puddles, animal droppings and even animal carcasses.

The male purple emperor has an unmistakeable glossy purple above the top side of the wings, with white bands across its wings and orange-ringed eyespots under the brown forewings. The female is brown but has similar eye spots.

Another butterfly with an aristocratic name is the Duke of Burgandy, a beautiful, but now rare orange and brown butterfly.

The Duke of Burgundy takes wing in mid-to-late spring. It can be found on chalk and limestone grasslands and sometimes in woodland with large clearings. The male will defend small sunny patches, perching on plants ready to chase off rivals or follow females. Their numbers have crashed in recent decades. Since the 1980s, their distribution has shrunk by around 89%.

With a wingspan of 30mm, the Duke of Burgandy is a very small butterfly. The upper sides of their wings are brown with a mosaic of orange markings. The undersides of their hind wings are dark orange-brown with rows of white spots. All their wings have a chequered brown and white border.

Another small butterfly to spot is the holly blue, a bright blue butterfly that has a wingspan around 30mm. The Holly Blue is the first blue butterfly to emerge in the year, spotted in early spring, although a second generation comes around in late summer. The holly blue can be distinguished from other blue butterflies with its size and the black spots on its silver-blue underside.