The Cult Butterfly

The Wildlife Community Podcast

Helen is joined by butterfly expert and National Trust conservationist, Matthew Oates, on the trail of His Imperial Majesty - a butterfly with the morals of a Tolkien orc apparently! Purple Emperor Butterflies are little known and little talked about, but they’ve attracted a cult following for their allusiveness, rarity and iridescent beauty which they flaunt with vanity. Helen meets superfan and author, Matthew Oates, in Gloucestershire’s Lower Woods on the hunt for the Purple Emperor Butterfly. A good news story for British wildlife. “The males have the morals of some of Tolkien’s orcs! You wouldn’t want your sister or daughter to go out with a bloke with the morals of a purple emperor butterfly!” Find out more about Matthew Oates on our website.