Nymphalidae : Apaturinae
Asterocampa idyja (Geyer, [1828])
Dusky Emperor
Asterocampa idyja (Geyer, [1828])
Dusky Emperor
Description and Similar Species: Wingspan 56-82mm. Sexes similar but males have upper wings with darker tips and a broad band of ochreous spots across the middle. Males are also smaller than females and are paler underneath. The subspecies idyja found in the Caribbean is much less well-marked than the subspecies argus found in Central America. Worn specimens look much paler than those when fresh.
Range: From Costa Rica north to Mexico and as a vagrant further north. In the West Indies it is found on Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.
Status: Widespread on woodland edges and clearings. The subspecies idyia is endemic to the West Indies.
Nectar Plants: Tournefortia hirsutissima, Ageratum conyzoides and Lantana and on rotting fruit.
Larval Foodplants: Parathesis or Celtis sp.
Range: From Costa Rica north to Mexico and as a vagrant further north. In the West Indies it is found on Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.
Status: Widespread on woodland edges and clearings. The subspecies idyia is endemic to the West Indies.
Nectar Plants: Tournefortia hirsutissima, Ageratum conyzoides and Lantana and on rotting fruit.
Larval Foodplants: Parathesis or Celtis sp.
Larva
Pupa