Great purple emperor

The Great Purple Emperor (オオムラサキ, Oomurasaki) (known as the Purple Butterfly before ) is a rare butterfly. It sells for 2,000 Bells (3,000 Bells in ), and is easily noticeable. After being absent from the following the release of, the Purple Butterfly reappeared in , where it was available for a limited time as part of the 'All Aflutter Butterfly Goals' event, and.

Donating to the museum
As with all fish and bugs in the, the Great Purple Emperor can be donated to the Museum by talking to Blathers, who will also tell the player some information about the donation. Regarding the Purple Butterfly:

In Animal Crossing
"There's an old saying among some of my contemporaries: "Butterflies are beautiful, yet moths are monstrous." Well, if you were to ask me, I'd say they were all the same! By which I mean disgusting! Truly hoo-rrific, wot wot!"

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons
"The great purple emperor lives high in the treetops and is renowned for its pretty purple-hued wings. Its impressive bird-like wingspan and elusive nature have made it a favorite among butterfly aficionados. But truth be told, the so-called great purple emperor has some not-so-great personal peculiarities. For one...it has two horrid HORNS upon its head when it is in its caterpillar form. For two...it has been known to dine on feces and animal carcasses! Hoo! That's why I call it the Emperor of EWWW!"

When donated, the great purple emperor can be found flying between the trees in the main room of the bug exhibit, being one of the few butterflies not found in the butterfly room.

In Real Life
Sasakia charonda, also known as the Japanese emperor or giant purple emperor, is a species of butterfly native to eastern Asia (including all of Japan, the Korean peninsula, mainland China, northern Taiwan, and northern Vietnam). It is the national butterfly of Japan.

Trivia

 * The capture phrase for the Great Purple Emperor in is a likely reference to Prince's Purple Rain.