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 Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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

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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

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

Ecology and habitat

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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

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  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". Archived from the original on 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2012-02-20.