The caterpillar is slug-like and grows to approximately 1 1/4 inches in length. It is light green with cream colored lengthwise lines and cross bands. The head can be green or brown with antlers and spikelets. The head spikelets are often half the length of the longest ones along the cheeks. It has 2 short tails projecting from the rear. On the very similar Tawny Emperor caterpillar, the antlers on the head have spiklets that are more than half the length of the spikelets projecting from the branched spines of the “cheeks.” The darker green appendages on the individual in photos C & D are probably braconid wasp larvae.
This is a common species around Hackberry trees, which are the host plants, but the caterpillars are not often seen.
The larvae do not feed communually like the closely related Tawny Emperor. The Hackberry butterfly has a wingspan of 2 – 2 1/2 inches. Overall it is brown to a rich tan color. Dorsally, the forewing is a very dark brown to black with several white spots toward the tip and light brown toward the base. The hindwing is light brown with oval dark brown spots in the submargin. Ventrally, the wings are patterned with brown bars and chevrons and white patches. The hindwing has a row of black eyespots with blue pupils and rimmed with yellow across the submarginal band.
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