Crescent Butterflies

Nymphalidae: Crescent Butterflies California Crescent Field Crescent Mylitta Crescent Pale-banded Crescent Pearl Crescent Phaon Crescent Texan Crescent Vesta Crescent Butterfly Pictures

Crescents are small to medium sized brush-footed butterflies, members of the True Brushfoots or Nymphalidae subfamily.

Five different crescent genera can be found in the United States, Phyciodes, Anthanassa, Eresia, Tegosa and Castilia, with Phyciodes being the most widely distributed.

Anthanassa, Eresia, Tegosa and Castilia species live primarily from Mexico, south through South America.

However, with the exception of the Texan Crescent (Anthanassa texana), which has a fairly broad established range in the Southwest, only rare stray species in the other four genera find their way to border areas of Texas and Arizona. The Pale-banded Crescent provides one such example.

Like most other brushfooted butterflies, most Phyciodes species have an orange and black wing pattern. Small spots bordering the bottom of the wings usually serve as the best initial field identification mark for the genus.

The majority of Phyciodes species have geographically limited ranges, with Pearl Crescents having the widest range, from east of the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast. Field Crescents and Mylitta Crescents have the widest West Coast range.

Geographically limited range also makes for relatively easy field identification in any particular area.

The eight Crescent species listed in the box represent a substantial sample of the group.

© 2003-2008 Patricia A. Michaels