Ohio Part 3: Meeting the emperor: I suspect that one of the most common of all butterflies over the entire U.S. is the hackberry emperor ( Astrocampa celtis ). You think cabbage...

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Ohio Part 3: Meeting the emperor

May 2, 2023 00:08:29 #

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

I suspect that one of the most common of all butterflies over the entire U.S. is the hackberry emperor (Astrocampa celtis). You think cabbage butterflies are common? Hackberry emperors would say “hold my beer” if you count wood margins where they can be seen in multiples along any direction. Their host plant are hackberry trees, and these too are super common. The adult butterfly is pretty plain, but the caterpillar is weird and so for years I have been searching for them. Just one would make me happy. But despite the super-commonness of the adults, the caterpillars prove to be mighty elusive. Thousands of trees have been searched, and I never found one. But then I went to Ohio, and I found several.

Here is one. What is weird about them is their head-gear.

Hackberry emperor caterpillar by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

I brought that one home with me after the Ohio trip in order to make absolutely sure I could get the picture that I had been planning for years, and at last here it is! Manually focus stacked rather quickly.

Hackberry emperor caterpillar by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

After some time, it formed a pupa, and that also turned out to be interesting.

Hackerry emperor pupa by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

And then here is the adult shortly after it emerged and expanded its wings. It sat just long enough for this picture, and then off it went to make more hackberry emperors.