font settings and languages

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia
Languages:

Phyciodes cocyta

(Northern Crescent)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

Interesting Facts

[ Back to top ]
Widespread across Canada and the northern and western US, some treat this taxon as Phyciodes selenis.

Common Names

[ Back to top ]

Common Names in English:

Northern Crescent

Description

[ Back to top ]

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]

Physical Description

Species Phyciodes cocyta

Antennal clubs of male are orange. Females are darker than males. Upperside is orange-brown with dark borders ; median orange-brown areas are mostly open, with few dark markings. Underside of hindwing is orange with a tan patch surrounding the pale marginal crescent. (ref. 105927)

Color:

Antennal clubs of male are orange. Females are darker than males. Upperside is orange-brown with dark borders ; median orange-brown areas are mostly open, with few dark markings. Underside of hindwing is orange with a tan patch surrounding the pale marginal crescent.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches (3.2 - 4.8 cm).

Habitat

Moist open areas in rocky places, wooded streams , marsh edges , and shale barrens .

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,875 meters (0 to 9,432 feet).[3]

Biology

[ Back to top ]

Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Asters, in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Adult food: Nectar from flowers of dogbane, fleabane , and white clover.

Reproduction

All day long, males patrol near the host plants for receptive females. Eggs are laid in bunches of about 40 on the underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves, and young ones live and feed communally. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate.

Behavior

Flight: One brood from June-July, perhaps two broods in southern Canada.

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

Members of the genus Phyciodes

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 37 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. argentea (Chestnut Crescent) · 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. cocyta (Northern Crescent) · P. cocyta arenacolor (Steptoe Valley Checkerspot) · P. frisia (Cuban Crescent) · P. graphica (Graphic Crescent) · P. graphica vesta (Vesta Crescent) · P. incognitus (Mimic Crescent) · P. mylitta (Mylitta Crescent) · P. mylitta mexicana (Mylitta Crescent) · P. orseis (California Crescent) · P. orseis herlani (Orseis Crescent) · P. orseis orseis (Orseis Crescent) · P. pallescens (Mexican Crescent) · P. pallida (Pale Crescent) · P. pallida barnesi (Barnes' Crescent) · P. pallidus (Pallid Crescentspot) · P. phaon (Phaon Crescent) · P. picta (Painted Crescent) · P. picta canace (Painted Crescent) · P. pratensis (Field Crescent) · P. pulchella (Field Crescent) · P. pulchella camillus (Camillus Crescent) · P. pulchella pulchella (Field Crescent) · P. pulchella shoshoni (Field Crescent) · P. pulchella totchone (Field Crescent) · P. texana (Texan Crescent) · P. tharos (Arctic White) · P. tharos arctica (Pearl Crescent) · P. tharos riocolorado (Northern Pearl Crescent) · P. tharos tharos (Pearl Crescent) · P. tulcis (Pale-Banded Crescent) · P. vesta (Vesta Crescent)

More Info

[ Back to top ]

Further Reading

[ Back to top ]

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=18&sci=Nymphalidae&com=Brush-footed Butterflies [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Editha&search=Search [back]
  3. Mean = 302.160 meters (991.339 feet), Standard Deviation = 364.550 based on 2,574 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/16/2012