Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
First described in 1770 (without the name- that came in an index that was published with the second volume in 1773) by
Dru Drury as
Papilio tharosExplanation of Names
tharos looks like it should be Greek, but isn't in the dictionaries. The closest is tharros (θαρρος), a variant of tharsos (θαρσος)- "courage", which has survived in Modern Greek- but even that doesn't seem likely.
Habitat
Gardens, fields, roadsides and woodland edges. More restricted to streamsides in the west.
Season
summer in northern parts of range, much of year in South
Food
Larval foodplant: Asters. Adults take nectar.
Life Cycle
Flies most of the year in the south (1-3 or more broods)
See Also
Mimic Crescent,
Phyciodes incognitus (recently described species from Southern Appalachians)
Northern Crescent,
Phyciodes cocyta
Phaon Crescent,
Phyciodes phaon, underside - see comments on this one for distinguishing marks:
Print References
Brock and Kaufman, pp. 176-177
(1)
Glassberg, p. 113, plate 32
(2)Internet References
Illustrations of Natural History, v.1, p.43 Drury's original description of the species (under "Fig.V and VI"), referring to figs 5 & 6 on
Plate 21 
