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Painted Crescent
Phyciodes picta (W.H. Edwards, 1865)
Attributes of Phyciodes pictaFamily: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) Subfamily: True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae) Identification: Upperside is dark with yellowish spots. Below, forewing apex and all of hindwing are yellow-cream with pale or absent markings. Life history: Males patrol on flats all day for females. Eggs are laid in clusters on underside of host plant leaves; caterpillars eat leaves. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate. Flight: Two to three flights from April-October. Wing span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm). Caterpillar hosts: Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), aster, and hairy tubetongue (Siphonoglosssa pilosella). Adult food: Flower nectar. Habitat: Marshes, stream edges, and washes in short-grass prairie; fields, roadsides, fencerows. Range: Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado south to Texas, New Mexico, and western Arizona; northern Mexico. Conservation: Not usually required. NatureServe Global Status: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Management needs: None reported. | Documented Records for Phyciodes picta
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