#Genus: Asterocampa

[professionalunprofessional]

A Tawny Emperor!

[onenicebugperday]

@foolishrats submitted: I found this lil fella on my porch and safely relocated them.

Found in central Texas, wondering what species they are. My mom says Tomato horn worm, but when looking them up they're a lot fatter than this one.

What a little cutie! This is one of the hackberry emperor butterflies in the genus Asterocampa, and not a hornworm. Hornworms, which are sphinx moths in the family Sphingidae, have a single horn on their butt. This sweet lil friend has two head horns and two butt tails instead! Fancy! :)

[nanonaturalist]

A good night for finding babies!

1-3: A very hungry caterpillar (moth TBD) ate most of a plant that was growing on my patio

4-5: I have heard of the “leaf-roller” moths and I guess this is why they’re called that.

6: EGGS!!! Looks like the hackberry/tawny emperor’s eggs. Going to see if I can hatch them to find out for sure!

7: A chrysalis! I saw a pale green wedge attached to a dark green leaf about 7 ft up in a hackberry tree. I’m guessing Asterocampa genus (hackberry/tawny emperor butterflies)

8: Hatch-a-thon 2017 commences!

9: Sleeping butterfly! Saw two–outer markings match with hackberry emperor, we’ll see what comes out of the chrysalis

April 20/21, 2017

[ankewehner]

The genus Chrysocale has C. principalis, the princely tiger moth, and  C. regalis. They are very shiny.

*checks her species-names-database in the works*

Queen Alexandra's sulphur

Tiger Mimic-Queen (aka tropical milkweed butterfly)

Royal mantle (Catarhoe cuculata)

Chocolate royal (Remelana bella)

Splendid royal moth (Citheronia splendens)

Imperial blue charaxes (Charaxes imperialis)

Common imperial (Cheritra freja)

White Imperial Butterfly (Neomyrina nivea)

Red imperial (Suasa lisides)

Nawab butterflies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyura

Tau emperor (Aglia tau)

Lesser purple emperor (Apatura ilia)

Purple Emperor (Apatura iris)

the genus Asterocampa has another 4 butterflies with "emperor" in the name https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterocampa

Silver emperor (Doxocopa laure)

Pavon emperor (Doxocopa pavon)

Golden emperor moth (Loepa katinka)

Golden emperor [butterfly] (Dilipa morgiana)

Pine tree emperor moth (Nudaurelia cytherea)

Madagascan emperor swallowtail (Papilio morondavana)

(not claiming completeness)

Hey! I know this is kind of a weird question, but do you know any moth/butterfly species that are named after/commonly associated with royalty (besides the obvious monarch butterfly and emperor moth)?

Hmmm just things I can think of offhand, there’s Phidippus regius, the regal jumper and the imperial moth, if that counts. Also the assassin bug called the horrid king. There’s the queen butterfly, Danaus gilippus, and the Queen of Spain fritillary, Issoria lathonia. There’s a group of dragonflies called king skimmers, and one called the blue emperor. I’m sure there are lots more if anyone else can remember any to add!