| Actual Image
Hackberry Emperor (10)
tuslaw
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 252 W: 8 N: 682]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (2217) | I've searched my guide books and I believe this is a Hackberry Emperor. I took this photo at Radnor Lake while visiting my daughter in Nashville Tennessee.
The butterfly was an extremely fast and erratic flier. When it did finally land it settled on the beam of an old wooden foot bridge. I never got it to open it's wings for a shot, so I settled for this closed wing image which I believe shows some beautiful patterns.
Hackberry Emperor
Family: Brush-footed Butterflies
Subfamily: Emperors
These butterflies are very fast fliers and usually rest upside down on the trunks of trees. The males perch on tall objects in order to keep a watchful eye out for females.
The adult butterflies deposit their eggs in clusters and the caterpillars remain in groups, overwintering in dead rolled leaves.
They range over most of the eastern United States, central Plains states, and southwest moutains of Mexico.
They feed on sap, rotting fruit, dung and carrion while getting ther moisture from puddles along roadsides as well as streams. |
|
