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 481 - 504 of 2078 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 30, 2014
Submitted by: LauriS
Region: Montour County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 10, 2014
Observation date: Jul 04, 2014
Submitted by: KristyBaker
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 05, 2014
Observation date: Jul 28, 2010
Submitted by: julmast
Region: Elkhart County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 05, 2014
Observation date: Jun 26, 2014
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Jul 03, 2014
Observation date: Jun 21, 2014
Submitted by: curtis.lehman (Kadee Books)
Region: Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 29, 2014
Observation date: Jun 21, 2014
Submitted by: systanfield
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 28, 2014
Observation date: Jun 26, 2014
Submitted by: Eclairious
Region: Hays County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 26, 2014
Observation date: Jun 13, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 13, 2014
Observation date: May 10, 2014
Submitted by: InfiniteHolly
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 10, 2014
Observation date: Apr 11, 2011
Submitted by: kevinkanif
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Apr 21, 2014
Observation date: Jul 07, 2013
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 11, 2014
Observation date: Jul 07, 2013
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 11, 2014
Observation date: Jun 22, 2013
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Lee County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: nathanbrockman
Verified date: Feb 06, 2014
Observation date: Aug 08, 2012
Submitted by: digibug
Region: Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 06, 2014
Observation date: Aug 04, 2013
Submitted by: Brian Taber
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Jan 31, 2014
Observation date: Nov 09, 2013
Submitted by: lbell007
Region: Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 16, 2014
Observation date: May 06, 2010
Submitted by: ddodd
Region: Texas, Uvalde County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 14, 2014
Observation date: May 23, 1976
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 28, 2013
Observation date: Aug 13, 2013
Submitted by: John429
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Nov 15, 2013
Observation date: Sep 21, 2013
Submitted by: annette shells
Region: South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 24, 2013
Observation date: Sep 03, 2011
Submitted by: UrsulaV
Region: Chatham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: harrylegrand
Verified date: Oct 19, 2013
Observation date: Sep 15, 2013
Submitted by: mdolomieu1
Region: Greene County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Oct 15, 2013
Observation date: Sep 02, 2013
Submitted by: mdolomieu1
Region: Greene County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Oct 09, 2013
Observation date: Oct 01, 2013
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Oct 02, 2013
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