The hackberry emperor is a member of the brushfoot family of butterflies. They are found mainly in the eastern portions of North America with central Minnesota being on the northern edge of their range. Their range is limited by the range of the hackberry trees for which they get their name.
The leaves of the hackberry tree are the larval food for the hackberry emperor. Adults lay clusters of eggs on the leaves so that when the larva hatch they can begin to communally feed. Typically there are two broods per summer. The second brood will over winter as caterpillars, wrapping themselves in dead leaves.
