Asterocampa leilia

Asterocampa leilia, the Empress Leilia, Leilia hackberry butterfly or desert hackberry,[1] is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

Asterocampa leilia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Asterocampa
Species:
A. leilia
Binomial name
Asterocampa leilia
Synonyms
  • Apatura leilia W.H. Edwards, 1874
  • Apatura cocles W.H. Edwards, 1884
  • Apatura cocles Lintner, [1885]

Description

Adults are brownish orange, with white and black spots on the bottom of the wings.[2] The length of the wings is 1.5 to 2 inches (38 to 51 mm).[3]

Distribution

The species can be found in the south-western United States, including Arizona and Texas, as well as Mexico.

Ecology and habitat

Adults feed on dung, sap and rotten fruit.[4] In very rare cases the species will feed on nectar. They live in canyons, streamsides, thorn scrubs, and washes.[5] Males of the species will wait near their food plants for females to appear.[6] Larvae feed on hackberry.[7]

References
  1. "Asterocampa leilia". Arizonensis. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. "Asterocampa leilia". Dallas Butterflies. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  3. "Asterocampa leilia". Bug Guide. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  4. Rotten fruit feeding
  5. "Empress Leilia Asterocampa leilia (W.H. Edwards, 1874)". Butterflies and moths. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  6. "Empress Leilia". Fire Fly Forest. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  7. Larvae feeding


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