Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes


TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Subfamily Apaturinae - Emperors

Hackberry Emperor? - Asterocampa celtis - male Hackberry Butterfly - Asterocampa celtis - male Butterfly from Below - Asterocampa clyton - male Hackberry Emperor for SC in August - Asterocampa celtis - male Asterocampa clyton - male Pavon Emperor - Doxocopa pavon - male Tawny Emperor - Asterocampa clyton - male Hackberry Emperor Butterfly - Asterocampa celtis - male
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies (excluding skippers))
Family Nymphalidae (Brushfooted Butterflies)
Subfamily Apaturinae (Emperors)
Food
Larval hosts of our species are Hackberry (Celtis species). Adults rarely visit flowers, and are more likely to be seen at oozing sap, puddles, rotting fruit, carrion, etc.
Remarks
Medium-sized butterflies, closely related to the Nymphalinae, and adults are very similar. Ours (and most others) have a characteristic triangular wing shape and sometimes have small eye spots on both the front and hind wings. The larvae are more like those of Satyrinae or Charaxinae in that they have no spines except on the head, and there are a pair of points at the rear of the abdomen that point backwards.

Many species of Doxocopa mimic Adelpha in wing pattern, but they are smaller with the same characteristic wing shape as most other members of the Apaturinae.

These are active, pugnacious butterflies, and males defend territories, usually from a perch on a rock, branch or other elevated position with a good view. Females tend to be a bit more secretive, and less often seen, but are also (at least part of the time) very active and fast, most often staying near the larval host plants.