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Asterocampa celtis
This is the first time I've been able to capture both the adult and larvae of a butterfly species in the same frame. The larvae or caterpillar has a body that has numerous tiny yellowish-white, raised, seta-bearing bumps (chalazae). Some of the chalazae are arranged to form narrow stripes on the back and sides. Its head is brown with a pair of stout black horns dorsally. The adults can have some variation in appearance. Brown or grey with white markings and a row of dark eyespots on the hind wings. To differentiate from the Tawny emperor there is a dark eyespot and white markings on the forewing that the Tawny emperor doesn't have (seen in pics 3 and 4 -- though somewhat faint because of an older specimen). This is a female -- males are darker.
Spotted on a log along the "Hackberry Trail" at the National butterfly Center in Mission, Texas. All along this long trail are hackberry trees, the host plant for Asterocampa celtis.
Spotted on Nov 10, 2020
Submitted on Jan 6, 2021
3 Comments
Thanks for your kind comments, Sukanya and Neil. It was a curious interaction.
Beautiful spotting, Brian. Awesome notes too!
The first shot is so sweet...almost as if the caterpillar is musing...so me in 2020 will turn into that in 2021!