The Hackberry Emperor is a North American butterfly that belongs to the family of brushfooted butterflies, Nymphalidae.
Similar species: Moths And Butterflies
By Flown Kimmerling
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Uploaded Aug 22, 2018. Captured Aug 20, 2018 22:38 in 381 Dally Cove Rd NE, Ranger, GA 30734, USA.
comments (18)
And I love how Americans call something a "vehicle", instead of just "car" :) Posted 7 years ago
"The Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) is a butterfly in the Brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. It flies from May through October and has an extensive range throughout North America. It can be found as far south as Central Mexico and as far north as Southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It can also be found in the American Southwest, parts of the Rockies, the midwest, and all along the East coast.
As its common name implies, this species is associated with Hackberry trees (Celtis sp.). Not only are these trees nutrient sources for adults, but they are also host plants for larvae. Where you find Hackberry trees you will most likely find these butterflies nearby.
The Hackberry Emperor is bit of an oddball in terms of butterfly behavior as it does not find flowers very alluring. When it does happen to nectar on them, it does so in a parasitic manner--avoiding touching the flower with its feet and antennae. It uses only its proboscis for drawing out nutrients and thus cheats the flowers out of being pollinated. The Hackberry Emperor prefers to obtain its nutrients from Hackberry tree sap, feces, rotting fruit, carrion, and even the sweat of humans. It has a reputation for being quite social, alighting on humans and nectaring on sweaty clothing or even skin. {Spotted in Georgia, USA by JungleDragon user, Lisa Kimmerling } #JungleDragon" Posted 6 years ago