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pearl crescent
pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Illinois Status: common, native
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
The pearl crescent is a small, brown butterfly with many black marks on the wings. The wingspan is about one and one-fourth to one and five-eighths inches. Males have a black knob at the tip of each antenna. The upper side of the wings is orange-brown with dark brown or black markings. The lower side of the wings is yellow-orange. There is a crescent in the dark marginal patch of the hind wings. The caterpillar is dark brown with brown spines and white head patches.
BEHAVIORS
The pearl crescent butterfly may be found statewide in Illinois in open weedy areas, roadsides, pastures and fields. It is active April through November. Two to four broods are produced each year. The larvae feed primarily on asters. The species overwinters in the larval stage.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Habitats
Aquatic Habitats
wet prairies and fens
Woodland Habitats
upland deciduous forests
Prairie and Edge Habitats
black soil prairie; dolomite prairie; edge; gravel prairie; hill prairie; sand prairie; shrub prairie
