Empress Leilia
Asterocampa leilia (W.H. Edwards, 1874)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Apaturinae
Identification: Upperside is chestnut brown; forewing has 2 solid brown bars in the cell, median white spots, and 2 black eyespots near the outer margin.
Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 3 inches (3.8 - 7.6 cm).
Life History: Males perch most of the day to watch for females. Eggs are laid in groups of 10-15 on the top of host plant leaves. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: All year in South Texas, April-November in Arizona.
Caterpillar Hosts: Tree Celtis pallida in the elm family (Ulmaceae).
Adult Food: Sap and dung, occasionally flower nectar.
Habitat: Thorn scrub, washes, canyons, streamsides.
Range: Southern Arizona east to South Texas, south to central Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually of conservation 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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 189 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/empress_leilia2.jpg?itok=LJTSG0n9)
Observation date: Apr 07, 2024
Submitted by: rkw9000
Region: Texas, Starr County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 15, 2024
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Observation date: Nov 21, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4033_5.jpg?itok=Q0xcvlkN)
Observation date: Nov 21, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4046_7.jpg?itok=rNqBfzz8)
Observation date: Nov 21, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4085_7.jpg?itok=CII9m4S2)
Observation date: Nov 21, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/empress-leila-asdm-a-dscn1672-small.gif?itok=J4UZoIrE)
Observation date: Oct 15, 2023
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 15, 2023
Submitted by: fotosmurf
Region: Bandera County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 17, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/021a0655.jpg?itok=Fjh8NSHQ)
Observation date: Apr 14, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: May 29, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hackberryemperor_1.jpg?itok=IryzAdlq)
Observation date: Apr 29, 2023
Submitted by: abrasket
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: May 18, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn5463.jpg?itok=KFmbV71X)
Observation date: Apr 30, 2023
Submitted by: pkmcp
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 18, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/alamos_asterocampa_leilia_closed_2019feb08.jpg?itok=2ywHEIbG)
Observation date: Feb 08, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20221207_2022543.jpg?itok=GskwE300)
Observation date: Dec 07, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 08, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2629_6.jpg?itok=V6BXj3iQ)
Observation date: Nov 06, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 08, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/empress_lelia_rio_grande_village.jpg?itok=sKevPVU9)
Observation date: Jul 08, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc07461_1.jpg?itok=Ikvys22X)
Observation date: Sep 29, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 03, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1350645_2.jpg?itok=F0XKk1dm)
Observation date: Sep 18, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 14, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn3598crop.jpg?itok=eSdOjOCY)
Observation date: Nov 26, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 05, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/empress_leilia_asterocampa_leilia_a_file0546.jpg?itok=zN9SwDJ5)
Observation date: Oct 28, 2021
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 14, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_3973_5.jpg?itok=3-B3Nu1m)
Observation date: Sep 01, 2021
Submitted by: Rmclaughlin
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/0e56e6fb-eee1-468a-b115-2911bd5320e7.jpeg?itok=P3WmwZ-6)
Observation date: Aug 30, 2021
Submitted by: Honu Green
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2741.jpeg?itok=nLLfJ2Jn)
Observation date: Sep 17, 2021
Submitted by: Vicki2021
Region: Pinal County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hackberry_emperor_2021-10-11_madera_canyon-proctor_rd_pima_co_arizona-1.jpg?itok=n_4TPZic)
Observation date: Oct 11, 2021
Submitted by: Nick Pulcinella
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/empressleilia070321.jpg?itok=z7MSN8rz)
Observation date: Jul 03, 2021
Submitted by: justkim1106
Region: Texas, Uvalde County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 19, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_9085.jpg?itok=nXop4uAf)
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 12, 2021
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