On 2013-08-07 14:39:07 +0000, echinosum said:

;989363 Wrote:
From the size and the sheen I'd guess that it was a Purple Emperor
male,
it's the right time of year and it does frequent oak trees.

The only thing that is wrong is the area of the country, as it tends not
to be found further west than Hampshire. 'UK Butterflies - Purple
Emperor - Apatura iris' (http://tinyurl.com/l72on8j)

Have a look through http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk to see what catches
your fancy.

Nothing else seems to match the description. I went out today, hoping
to see it again but that didn't happen. I'll try again tomorrow, if
the weather holds. The forecast isn't great.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon