Attributes of Asterocampa idyja

Dusky Emperor
Asterocampa idyja (Geyer, [1828])
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Apaturinae
Identification: Upperside is brown; forewing is hooked. Male forewing with white spots near the tip, and usually a band of yellow spots across the center of the wing. Hindwing has 6 dark submarginal eyespots. Female spots are duller, more diffuse; forewing is broader and not as hooked as in the male. Both sexes have another form in which the colors are paler.
Wing Span: Not reported.
Life History: Males perch to await females.
Flight: October in Arizona.
Caterpillar Hosts: Hackberry species (Celtis) in the elm family (Ulmaceae).
Adult Food: Rotting fruit and occasionally flower nectar from Lantana, Ageratum, and Tournefortia.
Habitat: Woodlands and their edges.
Range: Cuba and the Isle of Pines, Mexico, Guatemala; rare on Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. A rare stray to southeastern Arizona.
Conservation: Not necessary for a rare stray.
NCGR:
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:

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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.

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Observation Date Submitter Region Verified Datesort icon
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cochise County, Arizona, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sonora, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
October 21, 2003 legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas)) Tamaulipas, Mexico January 29, 2007 Details
October 17, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
September 25, 1999 legacy.reporter (Thea Pyle) Cochise County, Arizona, United States January 28, 2009 Details
October 03, 1999 legacy.reporter (Thea Pyle) Cochise County, Arizona, United States January 28, 2009 Details
September 01, 1990 legacy.reporter (Marcus Lindberg) Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States December 01, 2012 Details
September 25, 1999 legacy.reporter (Thea Pyle) Cochise County, Arizona, United States December 01, 2012 Details
October 03, 1999 legacy.reporter (Thea Pyle) Cochise County, Arizona, United States December 01, 2012 Details