Hackberry Emperor
Female - September 2017
The Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis) is a medium-sized butterfly with a mostly tan dorsal side featuring black on the wingtips. White spots on these black portions look almost like paint flecks. There are also black dots and a zigzag black line along the hindwing edges. One prominent black eyespot on the forewing is surrounded by a tan ring - this reminds me of a total solar eclipse!
Male - August 2019
The underside is light tan and some of the details show through. The hindwing eyespots are outlined on the underside and in the middle is a bit of light blue. By comparison, the ventral side of Tawny Emperors tends to show details that blend together a bit more where the Hackberry’s are sharper. Tawny’s also have a warmer brown/gold appearance on the upperside.
Male - August 2019
This individual decided to land on a cool stone wall and bask for a while!!
Male - June 2020
Both emperor species love to puddle and will certainly land on you for the salt in your sweat. I’ve had Hackberry and Tawny Emperors land on me for extended stretches and even came along for a short stroll as I left the area before they flew off!!
Mating Pair - July 2016
The first time I ever came across a Hackberry Emperor I was walking on a paved trail at a nearby park and noticed a bird frantically chasing something, trying to capture some sort of insect in its beak. I approached and the bird flew off leaving this mating pair of butterflies behind. The female’s right wing was damaged but hopefully she was eventually able to lay eggs on a nearby hackberry tree.
