Tawny Emperor
Asterocampa clyton
31.1085, -97.4985
Field Notes
Description:
Full-grown caterpillars are one to 1.5 inches long. The body is yellow to green with longitudinal to oblique white-yellow stripes on the sides of most body segments. Two barbed horns arise from the green head and a pair of pointed projections from the end of the body. From the base of each horn and running the length of the granulose body to the abdominal tips is a white-yellow line bordered by shades of dark green. Between these parallel lines in the center of the back is an inconspicuous yellow line. The host plant is hackberry (occasionally a serious pest).
Habitat:
Wooded portion of wildlife habitat yard.
Notes:
Eggs are laid in large groups of 200-500 on bark or the underside of mature leaves of host plants. Caterpillars eat leaves and young ones feed gregariously. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate in groups of about 10 inside a dead curled leaf.
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