LepidopteraNymphalidae – Brush-footed Butterflies

Empress Leilia - Hodges#4561

Asterocampa leilia

This record describes Asterocampa leilia (species). Recorded family: Nymphalidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Empress Leilia - Hodges#4561 - Asterocampa leilia — Contributed by Joel Kits; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn , Chuck Sexton

Distinguished from Hackberry Emperor by the present of two solid cell bars and two submarginal eyespots on the forewings. Perches on the ground more often than conspecifics which overlap its range. Tawny Emperor also shows two solid cell bars, but lacks the marginal eyespots on the FW. Type Locality: Camp Lowell and Sonoto [sic!] Valley, Arizona [Sonoita Valley, Santa Cruz County]

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Subfamily: Apaturinae
Tribe: Apaturini
Genus: Asterocampa

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

AZ, c. to s. TX / Mex. - Map - MPG

Seasonal Activity

Mostly: Jul-Nov - MPG

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Asterocampa leilia. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.

Ecological role of the group

Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.

Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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