Asterocampa leilia

{{Short description|Species of butterfly}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Asterocampa leilia.jpg

| image_caption = upperside

| image2 = Asterocampa_leilia-underside.jpg

| image2_caption = underside

| taxon = Asterocampa leilia

| authority = W.H. Edwards, 1874

| synonyms =

  • Apatura leilia W.H. Edwards, 1874
  • Apatura cocles W.H. Edwards, 1884
  • Apatura cocles Lintner, [1885]

}}

Asterocampa leilia, the Empress Leilia, Leilia hackberry butterfly or desert hackberry,{{cite web|url= http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/arthropoda/asterocampa_leilia.html|title=Asterocampa leilia|publisher=Arizonensis|accessdate=23 February 2012}} is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

Description

Adults are brownish orange, with white and black spots on the bottom of the wings.{{cite web|url= http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/Butterflies/Adults/adultleilia.htm|title=Asterocampa leilia|publisher=Dallas Butterflies|accessdate=23 February 2012}} The length of the wings is 1.5 to 2 inches (38 to 51 mm).{{cite web|url= http://bugguide.net/node/view/34987|title=Asterocampa leilia|publisher=Bug Guide|accessdate=23 February 2012}}

Distribution

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

Ecology and habitat

Adults feed on dung, sap and rotten fruit.[http://leps.thenalls.net/speciesnum.php?lep=65 Rotten fruit feeding] In very rare cases the species will feed on nectar. They live in canyons, streamsides, thorn scrubs, and washes.{{cite web|url= http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Asterocampa-leilia|title=Empress Leilia Asterocampa leilia (W.H. Edwards, 1874)|publisher=Butterflies and moths|accessdate=24 February 2012}} Males of the species will wait near their food plants for females to appear.{{cite web|url= http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2005/09/25/empress-leilia/|title=Empress Leilia|publisher=Fire Fly Forest|accessdate=23 February 2012}} Larvae feed on hackberry.{{Cite web |url=http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/animals/arth_emle.htm |title=Larvae feeding |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-date=2012-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510193744/http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/animals/arth_emle.htm |url-status=dead }}

References