Crescent Butterflies

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Crescents are brush-footed butterflies, members of the Nymphalidae family.

There is no easy way to characterized the group. They are generally small to medium sized butterflies. Like so many other brushfooted butterflies, most have an orange and black wing pattern.

Most species are geographically limited. Pearl Crescents are dominant on the East Coast, Field Crescents are found throughout the West Coast.

Once in the field, you usually get a knack for knowing which species live in your area.

The Mylitta Crescent, in the top picture, is on the small side for crescent butterflies.

The top of the wings are a pale orange, covered by a distinct pattern of black markings.

It is a common West Coast species, found in fields and residential settings.

The Texan Crescent in the second picture shows the contrast among crescent species.

Black is the predominant wing color, and it's complimented by orange and white marks.

Texan Crescents are found in Southern states from Florida to California. There is also a Mid-west population.

© 2003 Patricia A. Michaels