Painted Crescent
Phyciodes picta (W.H. Edwards, 1865)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is dark with yellowish spots. Below, forewing apex and all of hindwing are yellow-cream with pale or absent markings.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
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.
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.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Phyciodes pictus
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 234 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 23, 2025
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 06, 2025
Observation date: May 06, 2023
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 14, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: polylepis
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Sep 01, 2021
Submitted by: polylepis
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: May 04, 2024
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Barton County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 03, 2024
Observation date: Oct 15, 2023
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 19, 2023
Observation date: Sep 04, 2023
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 14, 2020
Submitted by: Robb Hannawacker
Region: San Juan County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 08, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: acapulco_john
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jun 14, 2023
Observation date: May 20, 2023
Submitted by: williamharmonlds
Region: McKinley County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: May 28, 2023
Submitted by: williamharmonlds
Region: McKinley County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Apr 17, 2023
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 17, 2023
Observation date: Oct 02, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 17, 2022
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: May 17, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Guadalupe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 19, 2022
Observation date: May 03, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 07, 2022
Observation date: May 03, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 07, 2022
Observation date: Apr 27, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Chaves County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 07, 2022
Observation date: Apr 07, 2022
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 08, 2022
Observation date: Mar 31, 2022
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 13, 2022
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