Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
| Very common in the Fort Fisher area near Wilmington, NC (where most of these photos were taken), Phaon Crescent occurs as far north as Dare Co., North Carolina. A mated pair coaxed onto my finger. New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| Same pair from the other side. Note the deformed hindwing on the right butterfly. New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Miami-Dade Co., FL 6/23/2010. |
| Barton Creek greenbelt, Austin, Travis Co., TX 4/29/2011. |
| The tiny Phaon Crescent is similar to the larger and more common and widespread Pearl Crescent (P. tharos), but found only along the coast in North Carolina, usually near its host plant, Fogfruit (Lippia nodiflora). Look for the pale orange bar in the middle of the forewing, which contrasts with the darker orange of the rest of the wings. New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| An unusually dark individual. New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| Same individual. New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 8/30/08. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 8/29/09. |
| Carteret Co., NC 4/14/07. |
| The undersides are more contrasty than those of Pearl Crescent, similar the to larger Mimic Crescent (Phyciodes incognitus), which is rare and found only in the mountains. Carteret Co., NC 4/14/07. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 5/15/04. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 5/15/04. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 10/5/02. |
| Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/7/04. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 5/15/04. |
| New Hanover Co., NC 10/5/02. |