Close Encounter

Color Digital

Macro of a Hackberry Emperor butterfly (Asterocampa celtis [Boisduval & Leconte, {1835}])

Info-----Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Subfamily: Emperors (Apaturinae)

Identification: Extremely variable geographically. Upperside is reddish brown. Forewing has 1 submarginal eyespot, a jagged row of white spots, and the cell has 1 solid black bar and 2 separate black spots.

Life history: Hackberry Butterflies fly in a fast and erratic manner, and rest upside down on tree trunks. Males perch on tall objects in sunny areas to watch for females. Eggs are laid in clusters, and the young caterpillars feed communally. Caterpillars overwinter in groups gathered inside dead rolled leaves.

Flight: Two broods from May-October.

Wing span: 1 3/8 - 2 1/2 inches (3.5 - 6.3 cm).

Caterpillar hosts: Various hackberries (Celtis species) and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata).

Adult food: Sap, rotting fruit, dung, carrion. Will take moisture at wet spots along roads and streams.

Habitat: Along wooded streams, forest glades and river edges, wooded roadsides, towns.

Range: Resident in most of the eastern United States, central Plains states, and the southwest mountains; northern Mexico. (Source: [link] )

This was taken with my right hand, while the butterfly was "prancing around" on my left index finger. NO manipulation was done to get the black background.

Edited on Jan. 11, 2009