Phyciodes argentea (Chestnut Crescent)

Common Names

Common Names in English:

Chestnut Crescent

Description

Family Nymphalidae

'The Nymphalidae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Distributed worldwide, butterflies of this family are especially rich in the tropics. They are highly variable, and there are more species in this family than in any other. Adults vary in size from small to large, and their front legs are reduced, unable to be used for walking. Wing shape is also highly variable: some species have irregular margins (anglewings and commas), and others have long taillike projections (daggerwings). Browns, oranges, yellows, and blacks are frequent colors, while iridescent colors such as purples and blues are rare. Adults of some groups are the longest-lived butterflies, surviving 6-11 months. Adult feeding behavior depends on the species, where some groups primarily seek flower nectar while others only feed on sap flows , rotting fruit, dung, or animal carcasses. Males exhibit perching and patrolling behaviors when seeking mates. Egg-laying varies widely, as some species lay eggs in clustsers, others in columns, and others singly. Caterpillar appearance and behavior vary widely. Brushfoots overwinter as larvae or adults.

'[1]

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Brushfoots are the most prevalent members of the Family Nymphalinae. Distributed worldwide, this is a diverse group that contains several tribes , each with somewhat different structural and biological features. Adults of North American species are predominantly orange, brown, and black. Wing shape and mating systems are variable. Most checkerspots and crescentspots patrol for mates, while the remainder of groups exhibit either perching or perching and patrolling . Migration varies widely; some strong migrants are found in the lady butterflies, tortoiseshells, and anglewings, while other species are local in occurrence. Most species limit their host plants to a few species, but the Painted Lady has one of the widest host palettes of all butterflies. Eggs are laid singly or clustered in groups, and caterpillars be found feeding alone or communally. Brushfoots overwinter as young caterpillars or hibernating adults.[2]

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia () - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria () - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
    - Branch: Protostomia () - Grobben, 1908
      - Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa () - Aguinaldo Et Al., 1997 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
        Superphylum: Panarthropoda () - Cuvier
        Phylum: Arthropoda () - Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
        Subphylum: Mandibulata () - Snodgrass, 1938
        Infraphylum: Atelocerata () - Heymons, 1901
        Superclass: Panhexapoda ()
        Epiclass: Hexapoda ()
        Class: Insecta () - C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
        Subclass: Dicondylia ()
        Infraclass: Pterygota ()
        Cohort: Myoglossata ()
        Superorder: Amphiesmenoptera ()
        Order: Lepidoptera () - Linnaeus, 1758 - Butterflies and Moths
        Infraorder: Heteroneura ()
        Family: Nymphalidae () - Brushfooted Butterflies
        Subfamily: Nymphalinae () - Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc.
        Genus: Phyciodes ()
        Specific name: argentea
        Scientific name: - Phyciodes argentea

Similar Species

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The males are distinctive, but the females resemble the Texas Crescent.

Members of the genus Phyciodes

There are approximately 157 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

P. acraeina · P. actinotina · P. aequatorialis · P. aestiva · P. alethes · P. alsina · P. angusta · P. anieta · P. arctica · P. ardys · P. argentea (Chestnut Crescent) · P. arida · P. arizonensis · P. barnesi · P. batesi · P. batesii (Tawny Crescent) · P. batesii anasazi (Canyon Crescent) · P. batesii batesii (Tawny Crescent) · P. batesii lakota (Lakota Crescent) · P. batesii maconensis (Appalachian Crescent) · P. berenice · P. boucardi · P. camillus · P. campestris · P. campestris camillus · P. campestris campestris · P. campestris montana · P. canace · P. catula · P. clio · P. cocyta (Northern Crescent) · P. cocyta arenacolor (Steptoe Valley Checkerspot) · P. collina · P. collinsi · P. corybassa mimicry · P. dicoma · P. distincta · P. dyari · P. edwardsi · P. elada · P. elaphiaea · P. elaphiaea abrupta · P. elaphiaea elaphina · P. emissa · P. epula · P. eranites mejicana · P. erebia · P. erebia mima · P. euclea · P. eucrasia · P. eunice · P. eunice esora · P. eunice homogena · P. ezra · P. fenestrata · P. fenestrata derivata · P. frisia (Cuban Crescent) · P. geminia · P. gorgone · P. graphica (Graphic Crescent) · P. graphica vesta (Vesta Crescent) · P. harperi · P. harrisii · P. herlani · P. herse · P. hiemalis · P. ianthe · P. ianthe atra · P. incognitus (Mimic Crescent) · P. ismeria · P. jemezensis · P. lansdorfi · P. leucodesma · P. liriope · P. liriope anieta · P. liriope claudina · P. liriope lirina · P. liriope orobia · P. macyi · P. marcia · P. mata · P. maya · P. mcdunnoughi · P. melini · P. metharmeoides · P. mexicana · P. minima · P. mirabilis · P. montana · P. morpheus · P. myia · P. mylitta (Mylitta Crescentspot) · P. mylitta arizonensis · P. mylitta mylitta · P. mylitta pallida · P. mylitta mexicana (Mylitta Crescent) · P. nebulosa · P. nigrescens · P. nycteis · P. ofella

More Info

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Notes

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Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 6922087
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1972869

Footnotes

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=18&sci=Nymphalidae&com=Brush-footed Butterflies [back]
http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Editha&search=Search [back]