BB’s (Denys Watkins-Pitchford MBE) Butterflies A Celebration of One Man's Passion for the Purple Emperor

Discover the remarkable story of Denys “BB” Watkins-Pitchford and his lifelong devotion to the elusive Purple Emperor butterfly. After encountering Apatura iris in 1946, and later seeing it vanish locally in the 1960’s following woodland spraying to eliminate Oak Tortrix moths, BB began collecting eggs, hand-rearing the butterflies in protected garden cages and releasing the adults into Fermyn Wood.

BB’s Butterflies brings together vivid extracts from his books and articles, complemented by his distinctive colour illustrations, scraperboards and photographs. BB’s keen eye and lyrical prose reveal the beauty of British butterflies while capturing the urgency of protecting their woodland habitats.

First-hand contributions from friends, fellow naturalists and conservationists—including Douglas Goddard, Badger Walker, Bill Humphreys and John McEwen—add warmth and insight to this portrait of a pioneering nature writer.

Richly illustrated and full of wonder, BB’s Butterflies is an irresistible invitation to enter BB’s world, celebrate the magnificent Purple Emperor butterfly and rediscover the wild beauty of rural England.

With a print run limited to just 950 copies, copies of this book are now very difficult to find in good condition. In 2026, we were fortunate to acquire 4 new (old stock) copies and make them available for sale here at WildernessBooks at half the original retail price compared to when it was published in 2013.