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 121 - 144 of 2055 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 06, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
Observation date: Jun 28, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 02, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2017
Submitted by: doug.couvillion
Region: Fluvanna County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 02, 2021
Observation date: Sep 20, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Oct 29, 2020
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: mpavlo
Region: Petersburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: Wild Ideas
Region: Rappahannock County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 26, 2014
Submitted by: Wade Wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 29, 2020
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: Dave Fairall
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 14, 2015
Submitted by: Beagleye
Region: Madison County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 09, 2019
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Mills County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: Dave Fairall
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: Dave Fairall
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Sep 04, 2015
Submitted by: Carolyn Seaton
Region: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Aug 26, 2018
Submitted by: iinv003
Region: Union County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 07, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2007
Submitted by: mothman27
Region: Whitley County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 30, 2017
Submitted by: SowdersT
Region: Marion County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 29, 2020
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
Observation date: Oct 03, 2020
Submitted by: Colleen
Region: Texas, Llano County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 29, 2020
Observation date: Oct 05, 2020
Submitted by: Englishman
Region: Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 12, 2020
Observation date: Nov 02, 2013
Submitted by: mrose821
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 08, 2020
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