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 385 - 408 of 2078 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 05, 2016
Submitted by: Judy Ross
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 05, 2016
Observation date: May 19, 2016
Submitted by: JeanEvoy
Region: DeSoto County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 25, 2016
Observation date: Apr 28, 2016
Submitted by: gregsnyder
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 29, 2016
Observation date: Aug 25, 2010
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 24, 2016
Observation date: Jun 21, 2011
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 24, 2016
Observation date: Aug 09, 2015
Submitted by: richardhsmith (Jonathan Willey)
Region: Dorchester County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Feb 18, 2016
Observation date: Sep 18, 2015
Submitted by: sshively
Region: Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 03, 2016
Observation date: Sep 24, 2008
Submitted by: AJ Trently
Region: Decatur County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jan 01, 2016
Observation date: Sep 24, 2015
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 22, 2015
Observation date: Jul 18, 2015
Submitted by: tjrickert
Region: Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 18, 2015
Observation date: Oct 07, 2015
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Texas, Williamson County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 09, 2015
Observation date: Sep 17, 2015
Submitted by: Tonia Graves
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 07, 2015
Observation date: Sep 26, 2015
Submitted by: cosmic_cat
Region: Gregg County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 30, 2015
Observation date: Sep 26, 2015
Submitted by: vivalapaz
Region: Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 27, 2015
Observation date: Sep 16, 2015
Submitted by: SidK
Region: Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 20, 2015
Observation date: Sep 13, 2015
Submitted by: EarlyDawnPhotography
Region: Grant County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 18, 2015
Observation date: Sep 13, 2015
Submitted by: S. J. Stedman
Region: Jackson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Sep 13, 2015
Observation date: Sep 08, 2015
Submitted by: opiliones
Region: Texas, Pecos County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 13, 2015
Observation date: Sep 01, 2015
Submitted by: EarlyDawnPhotography
Region: Grant County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 12, 2015
Observation date: Sep 07, 2015
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Perry County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Sep 11, 2015
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: adamholli
Region: Russell County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Sep 10, 2015
Observation date: Sep 06, 2015
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Stewart County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Sep 09, 2015
Observation date: Aug 18, 2015
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Marion County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Sep 08, 2015
Observation date: Aug 29, 2015
Submitted by: Bill Emch
Region: Chester County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 30, 2015
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