Home
Species Detail
Tawny Crescent
Phyciodes batesii (Reakirt, [1866])
Attributes of Phyciodes batesiiFamily: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) Subfamily: True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae) Identification: Antennal knobs are black and white. Upperside is dark brown; forewing with pale orange postmedian band and orange submarginal band. Underside of forewing is yellow; black patch on inner margin is larger than black patch near costa. Underside of hindwing is yellow-tan with faint markings; female with black submarginal dots. Life history: Females lay eggs in groups under host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves; first- and second-stage caterpillars live together in webs on the host plant. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate. Flight: One brood from May-July; sometimes a partial second brood in Michigan. Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.5 cm). Caterpillar hosts: Wavy-leaved aster (Aster undulatus) and perhaps other true asters. Adult food: Flower nectar. Habitat: Moist meadows and pastures in the northern part of its range; dry rocky ridges or hillsides in the south. Range: Southwest Quebec west to central Alberta, south to north-central Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and northern Georgia. Isolated colonies in the Black Hills and Nebraska's Pine Ridge. Conservation: For unknown reasons, this butterfly has disappeared from most of its eastern range. NatureServe Global Status: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range). Management needs: Maintain habitat integrity, host plant colonies, and nectar sources. | Documented Records for Phyciodes batesii
|
