Randy’s Natural World

The hackberry emperor

  • A hackberry emperor butterfly clings to a brick wall. Note the overall orange color with dark coloring on the outer portions of the forewings. This individual is almost certainly a male as females are more faded and have less orange coloring. Also note the large black spot surrounded by an orange ring on each forewing. The similar in appearance tawny emperor does not have those spots on the forewings. Photo by Randy Mitchell
    A hackberry emperor butterfly clings to a brick wall. Note the overall orange color with dark coloring on the outer portions of the forewings. This individual is almost certainly a male as females are more faded and have less orange coloring. Also note the large black spot surrounded by an orange ring on each forewing. The similar in appearance tawny emperor does not have those spots on the forewings. Photo by Randy Mitchell

    The hackberry emperor is a common butterfly, especially this time of year.

    It is so named because its caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of hackberry trees.

    This species, Asterocampa celtis, is easy to attract using fermenting fruit, especially watermelon and its rinds.

    Hackberry emperors will sometimes land on human skin, attracted to the sodium in sweat.

    These are not typical butterflies that go from flower to flower for nectar. Hackberry emperors feed on tree sap, sometimes nectar, rotting fruit, dung and even carrion.

    Their flight runs from about June through September; however, where the climate is warmer, butterflies will almost certainly be around longer into the fall. In other words, butterflies in the north will have a shorter flight time than butterflies in the south.

    Hackberry emperors fly rapidly and erratically and often land on tree trunks facing downward.

    I enjoy photographing these butterflies, but it is not easy to get them with their wings flat. They often close their wings with lightning speed at the sound of a camera’s shutter.

    Hackberry emperors are similar in appearance to tawny emperors, but there are easy ways to distinguish the two species. I plan to feature the tawny emperor in my next column. 

     

    Appearance

    The hackberry emperor is overall orange above, with the outer halves of the forewings being dark with white spots.

    The male’s forewings are narrower than the female’s, and the male is more boldly colored than the female, which can be a little drab.

    Wingspans range from 2-2.5 inches. Males are smaller than females.

    Females tend to be less active than males and are seen less frequently, but as mentioned previously, both sexes can be attracted to fermenting fruit as bait.

     

    Range

    These butterflies are found anywhere in Oklahoma where hackberry trees are located, and over most of the eastern United States.

     

    Habitat

    Open woodlands and forest edges, wherever hackberry trees are found.

     

    Editor’s Note: Randy Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. He has been an avid birdwatcher, nature enthusiast and photographer for more than 40 years. Reach him at rnw@usa.com.