This caterpillar grows to almost 2 inches long. It usually has bright green skin with a yellow stripe down its back the length of its body, along with thin, parallel black stripes. The color can be variable ranging from green to tan, brown or purple. The adult, the Goldenrod Hooded Owlet, is a large, brown and gray moth.
The abundance of this species in our two nature centers is not yet known. The caterpillars are more likely seen in August though October on asters and goldenrods.
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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