For a long time I’ve wanted to raise caterpillars of the Purple Emperor (Apatura iris) or the Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura Ilia). Before getting that chance there was one challenge thought: Finding eggs or caterpillars.
After spending quite some time on the quest I finally found what I was after a couple days ago. A hibernating caterpillar of the Purple Emperor on Goat Willow (Salix caprea). Here’s some images on the specimen, including a photo of the growth where the larva was found (see red marking).