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Species Doxocopa laure - Silver Emperor - Hodges#4567

Silver Emperor - Doxocopa laure - female

Silver Emperor = Doxocopa laure - Doxocopa laure - male

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)

Family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)

Subfamily Apaturinae (Emperors)

Tribe Apaturini

Genus Doxocopa

Species laure (Silver Emperor - Hodges#4567)

Hodges Number

4567

Other Common Names

Laure Emperor

Explanation of Names

Doxocopa laure (Drury, 1773)

Identification

Sexually dimorphic upperwing patterns. Females have a diagonal white slash across both wings, and a yellow spot near the forewing apex; extremely similar to female Pavon Emperor but this species has a broader white stripe with a rounded tip. Male has a stripe across its upperwings but is white only on hindwings, turns yellow on forwings. Underwing pattern is similar to upperwing but less distinct and with a grayish or silvery cast overall.

Range

s. TX (as a stray) to Panama - Map (MPG, BOA)

Food

Adults visit rotting and overripe fruit, sap, animal dung, and carrion.

Larvae host on hackberries (Celtis, Ulmaceae)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Butterflies of America - BOA

Contributed by tom murray on 17 September, 2005 - 12:17pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Joshua Stuart Rose, Mike Quinn
Last updated 3 January, 2018 - 10:55am

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