Phyciodes mylitta

Phyciodes mylitta, the Mylitta crescent or Mylitta crescentspot, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in western North America.

Mylitta crescent
Scientific classification
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P. mylitta
Binomial name
Phyciodes mylitta
(W.H. Edwards, 1861)
Synonyms
  • Melitaea mylitta Edwards, 1861
  • Eresia mata Reakirt, 1866
  • Phyciodes mylittus Higgins, 1981
  • Phyciodes pallidus

The wingspan is 26-37 mm. Wings are orange with black markings and white fringe on the edges. The females are darker than the males.[1] The butterfly flies from June until late July in Canada[2] and until fall in California.[1] It is found in a variety of habitats, and usually inhabits meadows and stream banks in forested areas.[3]

The larvae are black with spines and white markings.[1] They feed on Cirsium and Carduus species.[2] Adults feed on flower nectar.[3]

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically:[4]

  • P. m. arizonensis Bauer, 1975
  • P. m. arida (Skinner, 1917)
  • P. m. mexicana Hall, 1928
  • P. m. mylitta
  • P. m. thebais Godman & Salvin, 1878

Similar species

References

  1. Will, Kip; Gross, Joyce; Rubinoff, Daniel; Powell, Jerry A. (2020). Field Guide to California Insects. Oakland, California: University of California Press. p. 413. ISBN 9780520288744.
  2. Mylitta Crescent, Butterflies of Canada
  3. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org.
  4. "Phyciodes Hübner, [1819]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms


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