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 1 - 24 of 2045 verified sightings
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Observation date: Aug 22, 2024
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 24, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/tawny_emperor_32.jpg?itok=INcICkr5)
Observation date: Aug 20, 2024
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1881.jpeg?itok=geIemKhl)
Observation date: Aug 16, 2024
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/24-07-14_snr_ozb_0040-nymphalidae-asterocampa_clyton.jpg?itok=DvxGvuHG)
Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Franklin County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Ozark_Bill
Verified date: Jul 28, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/_mg_2107.jpeg?itok=iN_TYC5e)
Observation date: Jul 20, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 21, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 05, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 06, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8859.jpeg?itok=cRMkql0u)
Observation date: Jun 10, 2024
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 10, 2024
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Observation date: Sep 13, 2023
Submitted by: Spunkybart
Region: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/tawny_emperor_asterocampa_clyton.jpg?itok=jIl2T_3a)
Observation date: Sep 19, 2023
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/tawny_emperor_asterocampa_clyton_on_robert_-_adam.jpg?itok=w4T_XUAD)
Observation date: Jun 24, 2012
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9391_tawny_emperor-fs355_laurens_co_0.jpg?itok=4U4UXnmW)
Observation date: Sep 07, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Laurens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 14, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 09, 2016
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 14, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 15, 2015
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 14, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 08, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 14, 2024
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Observation date: May 11, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 11, 2024
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Observation date: Apr 04, 2024
Submitted by: MECobarruvias
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 05, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/butterfly_375.jpg?itok=K1avo1z-)
Observation date: Jun 20, 2021
Submitted by: eattaway92
Region: Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Mar 15, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0399-2.jpg?itok=APZhWatF)
Observation date: Jul 02, 2021
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Polk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 11, 2024
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Observation date: Oct 06, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 21, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/tawny_emperor_asterocampa_clyton_c_phinizy_richmond_county_inat_050723.jpg?itok=WaNMNS3s)
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 10, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/tawny.jpeg?itok=VI1NERbO)
Observation date: Aug 28, 2019
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 24, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc07258_1.jpg?itok=mPwoYWVW)
Observation date: Sep 16, 2023
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 18, 2023
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Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: ashatteredsoulgone
Region: Blount County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
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