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Mylitta Crescent - Hodges#4488 (Phyciodes mylitta)
Photo#201440
Copyright © 2008
Kay Loughman
Crescents in copulo -
Phyciodes mylitta
-
Oakland (Claremont Canyon), Alameda County, California, USA
July 13, 2008
The lower insect is a typical Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta); but what about the upper one? Possible California Crescent (Phyciodes orseis)?
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Contributed by
Kay Loughman
on 13 July, 2008 - 8:45pm
Last updated 21 November, 2008 - 12:10am
top female, lower male
This is the main reason for the coloration difference.
Moved from
Butterflies
.
…
David J. Ferguson
, 20 November, 2008 - 11:57pm
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Mylitta Crescent
In my Kaufman guidebook, the lower one is portrayed there as a variation of the typical Mylitta Crescent. The upper one is pictured as the typical coloration. I'd say that's what they both are.
…
Kenneth Dwain Harrelson
, 13 July, 2008 - 10:00pm
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Crescents in copulo
I suspect you are correct about them both being Mylitta. I looked at Kaufman, and also Shapiro, Glasberg, Stewart and a couple of older guides. But I remain unconvinced about the upper insect, even though the specific habitat (weeds on the side of a canyon) and the geographic location (200 miles south of current known location) mitigate against P.orseis. Interestingly, the pictures in Shapiro's Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay (and likely the best guide for our local butterflies) ... look very different from the ones in Kaufman. In Kaufman's text, he says about Mylitta "There is much individual variation. This would be no problem if the California Crescent (P. orseis) did not exist!"
…
Kay Loughman
, 13 July, 2008 - 10:46pm
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If The California Crescent Did Not Exist
I'd agree with that statement! The upper one looked a whole lot like the California Crescent in my Kaufman, too.
…
Kenneth Dwain Harrelson
, 13 July, 2008 - 11:03pm
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Mylitta Crescents in copulo
In my message above, I said "In Kaufman's text..." Meant to say "In Shapiro's text..."
…
Kay Loughman
, 14 July, 2008 - 12:53pm
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