The forewings are dark brown or black. At the margin there is a chain of little white spots. In the pinion there are two insulated white sports. In the middle of wing there are two chains of white spots. There is a blue iridescence on a large area around the body.
The underside is light greenish at the pinion and dark brown around the body. There are some white spots in the dark area.

The hind wings are dark brown or black. At the margin there is a chain of little white spots. There are many other white spots on wing. In back there is a red spot.  There is a blue iridescence on a large area around the body.
The underside is light greenish. In back there is a red spot.

The body is white but the upside is black.

Sex differences: The female is brownish and has no blue iridescence.

Celtis sinensis

The first description of this butterfly was in 1863 by Hewitson. There are three subspecies.

• Sasakia charonda coreana   [Leech]
• Sasakia charonda formosana   [Shirôzu]
• Sasakia charonda yunnanensis   [Fruhstorfer]

The caterpillar has two warts upside down. The Japanese Emperor is the national butterfly of Japan. The wing beat of Sasakia charonda is very strong and you can hear it up to a distance of some meters.

• CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):
  
  -no entry- (as at 23.06.2005)
  
  
• EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora
  
  -no entry- (as at 19.08.2005)
  
  
• IUCN Red List of threatened species:
  
  -no entry- (as at 2004)  (see: www.redlist.org/)
  
  
  

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Sasakia charonda Hewitson 1863

 Japanese Emperor
 Japanischer Kaiser

• Kingdom:    ANIMALIA
• Phylum:    ARTHROPODA
• Class:    INSECTA
• Order:    LEPIDOPTERA
• Suborder:    DITRYSIA
• Superfamily:    PAPILIONOIDEA
• Family:    NYMPHALIDAE
• Subfamilie:    APATURINAE
• Tribe:    ---
• Genus:    SASAKIA
• Specific name:    CHARONDA

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