Learn what a hackberry emperor butterfly looks like and where to find one. Also find out the caterpillar's host plant.
How to Identify a Hackberry Emperor Butterfly
Published on Jun. 18, 2025
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What Does a Hackberry Emperor Look Like?
What type of butterfly is this? asks reader Andrea Rickard of Helena, Ohio.
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “This is a good view of the intricate pattern on the underside of the wings of a hackberry emperor butterfly. The wings are also very strongly patterned on the upper side, but with more of an orange-brown color.”
What Do Hackberry Emperor Butterflies Eat?
These butterflies seldom visit flowers. In fact, they’re much more likely to show up near rotting fruit or a tree leaking sap. You also might see them on puddles. Here’s how to make a DIY butterfly puddler.
Range
According to Kenn and Kimberly, Hackberry emperors are widespread from the eastern states to as far west as Arizona.
Learn how to identify a Baltimore checkerspot butterfly.
Caterpillar and Host Plant
As the name suggests, their caterpillars feed on the leaves of hackberry trees (Celtis occidentalis). These trees also support the larvae of American snout, tawny emperor and question mark butterflies.
The caterpillars are bright greenish-yellow in color with two stubby antler-like projections on the head. Eggs are white or pale yellow in color.
Hackberry emperors overwinter as caterpillars in curled up dried leaf litter from hackberry trees.
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
