Crescent
Phyciodes phaon
Size:
Wingspan is
7/8 - 1 1/3 inches.
Similar Species:
Pearl Crescent
(larger)
Habitat:
Weedy lots and lawns along the coast in our region.
Range/Abundance:
Common and local
along the coast from SC northward to Southeastern VA.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from late April until late October in three or more broods
with gaps between broods.
Larval Host Plants:
Fogfruit Lippia lanceolata and Mat Grass L. nodiflora
Comments:
Vacant lots and weedy fields with Fogfruit are good places to look for
this species. In the Carolinas I've always found this species close enough
to the ocean you could hear the incoming waves.
The top photo was taken on Shackleford Banks in
Carteret Co., NC on June 09, 2001. The second and bottom photos were taken
in New Hanover Co., NC on August 16, 2003.
Mated pair.