Tawny Emperor
Asterocampa clyton (Boisduval & Leconte, [1835])
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Apaturinae
Identification: Geographically variable. Upperside is chestnut brown; forewing with 2 brown bars in the cell, no white spots, and no eyespots near the outer margin. Hindwing uppersides are orange with black submarginal spots in one form, and all black in the other form.
Wing Span: 1 5/8 - 2 3/4 inches (4.2 - 7 cm).
Life History: Males perch on trees in full sun to watch for females. Eggs are laid in large groups of 200-500 on bark or the underside of mature leaves of host plants. Caterpillars eat leaves and young ones feed gregariously. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate in groups of about 10 inside a dead curled leaf.
Flight: One brood in the north from June-August, two broods in the south from March-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Trees of the elm family including Celtis occidentalis, C. tenuifolia, C. laevigata, C. lindheimeri, and C. reticulata.
Adult Food: Tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, carrion. Tawny Emperors almost never visit flowers.
Habitat: Densely wooded riparian areas, dry woods, open woods, cities, fencerows, parks.
Range: North Dakota south to Texas, east to New England through most of the southeastern states. Isolated populations in Florida, southwest New Mexico, and southeastern Arizona.
Conservation: Not usually of ocnservation concern.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 2055 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 01, 2021
Submitted by: Sapper Dan
Region: Bell County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2021
Submitted by: Harry Forbes
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jun 27, 2021
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Red River Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: jdzingle
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 01, 2021
Submitted by: Jgumbeaux
Region: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 02, 2021
Observation date: Jun 27, 2021
Submitted by: pporonto
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 28, 2021
Observation date: Jun 23, 2021
Submitted by: Wheels5683
Region: Guadalupe County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 18, 2021
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 22, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2021
Submitted by: Davi
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 12, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 03, 2021
Observation date: May 06, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 22, 2021
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Scioto County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Apr 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: ksqrd2
Region: Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2020
Submitted by: mbroen
Region: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: jigamaree
Region: Houston County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2014
Submitted by: Wade Wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Jack Connor
Verified date: Feb 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: Mike-Fran Jones
Region: Barry County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Feb 02, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2017
Submitted by: datilson
Region: Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2018
Submitted by: plawryniuk
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: Sep 01, 2018
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Roanoke County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
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