Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)

Rio Tuela, PN Montesinho, Portugal

I looked for the Lesser Purple Emperor for some time and only found it last July. Aesthetically, I find this to be one of the most beautiful butterflies in our fauna, with violet hues on the upper sides of the wings, not visible from this angle. It occurs only in the north of the country, where towards the interior it is confined to the Natural Park of Montesinho.

Nikon D300 + Nikon 300mm f4

iso 800, 1/1600, f5.6, -1.7 Ev

Stag Bettle (Lucanus cervus)

Castro Laboreiro, Peneda-Gerês NP, Portugal

A couple of months ago, I was walking through an Oak thicket before sunrise and I found this Stag Beetle clinging to the bark of a large Oak. This was an encounter long wished for, so I stopped what I was doing – disassembling cameras, flashes, cells, tripods, etc., which I had left during the night, in an unsuccessful attempt at photographing nocturnal carnivores – and turned to this priceless being. When the sun came up, its rays penetrated the thick foliage above, providing the kind of soft light that greatly fascinates me.

Nikon D300 + Nikon 60mm f2.8 AFS

iso 200, 1/200, f5