Tawny Crescent
Phyciodes batesii (Reakirt, [1866])
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: 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.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.5 cm).
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.
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.
NCGR: 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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 271 verified sightings

Observation date: May 24, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Paraskevoudaki)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 03, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. Brady)
Region: Swain County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 05, 2002
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL,Carter)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 21, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gatrelle)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 25, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Price)
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 13, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL, Pippen)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 05, 1996
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Glassberg)
Region: Macon County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 13, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (L. Williams)
Region: Graham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 03, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Love)
Region: Macon County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 14, 2002
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Love)
Region: Macon County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 11, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Herig, E. Ted)
Region: Otsego County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 21, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL,Pippen)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jul 06, 1992
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Gatrelle)
Region: Macon County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Swain County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 10, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Gatrelle)
Region: Macon County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 11, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Carter)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 02, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. Brady)
Region: Graham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 10, 2001
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Dole)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 10, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gatrelle)
Region: Clay County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: Jun 11, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Nielsen, Mogens C.)
Region: Otsego County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: May 12, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Emmitt)
Region: Macon County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010

Observation date: Jun 01, 1905
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Max Rothke (1906))
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright (David Wright)
Verified date: Feb 01, 2010

Observation date: Jul 20, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John Meyland)
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: Jul 06, 2009
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