The Tawny Emperor is a hackberry-specialist butterfly closely related to the Hackberry Emperor. Its rich tawny-orange upper wing surface lacks the large white apical forewing spots of its relative, giving it a more uniformly orange appearance. Like the Hackberry Emperor, it rarely nectars and is attracted to perspiration, dung, and rotting fruit instead.
Best time to see a Tawny Emperor
The best time to see a Tawny Emperor is July–October, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 23,250 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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