Europe including southern Britain, and across the Palearctic to central and western China. In Denmark eastern part of Jylland and most of the islands from Fyn and eastward.
♂
Pinseskoven (Birch-forest). With iridescent blue on the upper wing this is a male.
Easily separated from Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia), also present in the forest, by the limited yellow to the tips of the antennas, and by lack of an eye spot on the front wing.