Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
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The Tawny Emperor looks much like the closely related Hackberry Emperor, but it lacks black eye-spots on the forewings. The side view shown above is a male, distinguished by his triangular shaped hindwings. The female, shown below, has rounded hindwings.
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The top view of a female, pictured below, shows the black spots on the hindwing only. The top view of the male looks quite similar to the Hackberry Emperor, minus the black spot on the forewings.
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The females of these butterflies are rarely found feeding on flowers. They are more likely to be attracted to animal droppings, rotting fruit, or even carrion. Sometimes large groups form on trees where sap is leaking out, as shown below on an injured live oak. Males might gather around these groups, trying to interest the females in mating, but they are usually much more interested in eating.
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class: Insecta / order: Lepidoptera / family: Nymphalidae / genus: Asterocampa / species: clyton
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