Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies (excluding skippers) (Papilionoidea) » Brushfooted Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc. (Nymphalinae) » Crescents (Phyciodes) » Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)

Species Phyciodes phaon - Phaon Crescent

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies (excluding skippers))

Family Nymphalidae (Brushfooted Butterflies)

Subfamily Nymphalinae (Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc.)

Genus Phyciodes (Crescents)

Species phaon (Phaon Crescent)

Size

Wingspan 23 - 32 mm

Identification

Above, pale (cream-colored) postmedian band on the forewing.

Below, hindwing is tan with fine brown lines.

Range

Southern CA east through South Texas and Florida to coastal South Carolina. Strays to eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. See confirmed county records map here

Habitat

Open, disturbed sites including roadsides, utility easements, unused farm fields.

Food

Larvae host on frogfruit and mat grass (Lippia spp.)

See Also

Pearl Crescent is similar but lacks cream band on forewing, above, and hindwing is tawny orange, below.

Print References

Butterflies of Florida(1)

Internet References

Butterflies of North America

Works Cited

1.	Butterflies of Florida Field Guide (Our Nature Field Guides) By Jaret C. Daniels

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason
Last updated 8 October, 2006 - 8:29pm

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