-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

-Butterflies (Superfamily Papilionoidea)

-Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

-Emperors (Subfamily Apaturinae)

-Genus Doxocopa

-Silver Emperor (Doxocopa laure)

-Doxocopa laure ssp. laure

Doxocopa laure, commonly known as the Silver Emperor, is a large and striking butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. This species occurs in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America, inhabiting tropical forests, edges, and clearings. Males are often seen perching on tree trunks or branches, darting out to chase intruders before returning to the same spot—a territorial behaviour common in emperor butterflies. Rather than feeding mainly on flowers, Silver Emperors are attracted to sap flows, rotting fruit, and animal droppings, from which they obtain nutrients. The caterpillars feed on plants in families such as Fabaceae.