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 2070 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 18, 2021
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 22, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2021
Submitted by: Davi
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 12, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 03, 2021
Observation date: May 06, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 22, 2021
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Scioto County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Apr 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2020
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: ksqrd2
Region: Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2020
Submitted by: mbroen
Region: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: jigamaree
Region: Houston County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2014
Submitted by: Wade Wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Jack Connor
Verified date: Feb 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: Mike-Fran Jones
Region: Barry County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Feb 02, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2017
Submitted by: datilson
Region: Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2018
Submitted by: plawryniuk
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: Sep 01, 2018
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Roanoke County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
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
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