Attributes of Doxocopa laure

Silver Emperor
Doxocopa laure (Drury, 1773)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Apaturinae
Identification: Upperside of male is dark brown with some blue iridescence; median band is white on hindwing and mostly orange on forewing. Female upperside is dark brown without iridescence; median band is white on both wings and ends with a yellow spot at the leading edge of the forewing. Underside of hindwing of both sexes is grayish with a silvery iridescence.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 3 1/4 inches (7 - 8.2 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid singly on new growth of the host plant. Caterpillars make resting perches on top of leaves.
Flight: July-December in South Texas; all year in the tropics.
Caterpillar Hosts: Tree and shrub Celtis in the elm family (Ulmaceae).
Adult Food: Rotting fruit, dung, sap, carrion.
Habitat: Subtropical wooded areas and edges.
Range: In lowland tropics from Brazil north to northern Mexico. Strays occasionally to the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Conservation: Not required for a rare tropical stray.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:

Images of Doxocopa laure

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Doxocopa laure - Silver_Emperor_2007-10-26_01crop_Gary_Jue.jpg

Doxocopa laure - Silver_Emperor_2007-10-26_01crop_Gary_Jue.jpg

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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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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.

Observation Date Submitter Region Verified Datesort icon
December 11, 2012 John van Dort Francisco Morazán, Honduras December 11, 2012 Details
October 26, 2007 Gary Jue (Gary Jue) Hidalgo County, Texas, United States July 24, 2009 Details
October 14, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 16, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 17, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 16, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
September 07, 2003 legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas)) Nuevo Leon, Mexico January 29, 2007 Details
October 20, 2004 legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas)) Hidalgo County, Texas, United States January 29, 2007 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cochise County, Arizona, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sinaloa, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sonora, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Tamaulipas, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Starr County, United States December 31, 2004 Details