Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos (Drury, 1773)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Quite variable. Males usually have black antennal knobs. Upperside is orange with black borders; postmedian and submarginal areas are crossed by fine black marks. Underside of hindwing has a dark marginal patch containing a light-colored crescent. Spring and fall broods (form marcia) have a gray mottled hindwing below.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol open areas for females. Eggs are laid in small batches on underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves and are gregarious when young. Hibernation is by third-stage caterpillars.
Flight: Several broods; from April-November in the north, throughout the year in the Deep South and Mexico.
Caterpillar Hosts: Several species of smooth-leaved true asters including Aster pilosus, A. texanus, and A. laevis.
Adult Food: Nectar from a great variety of flowers including dogbane, swamp milkweed, shepherd's needle, asters, and winter cress.
Habitat: Open areas such as pastures, road edges, vacant lots, fields, open pine woods.
Range: Southeastern Alberta south through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and southeastern California to Mexico; east to southern Ontario and all the eastern United States.
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.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 241 - 264 of 14543 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 19, 2023
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Pulaski County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 21, 2023
Observation date: Apr 18, 2023
Submitted by: cindy.simpson@n...
Region: Durham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 20, 2023
Observation date: Apr 18, 2023
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 19, 2023
Observation date: Apr 11, 2023
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Apr 18, 2023
Observation date: Apr 13, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 14, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 07, 2023
Observation date: Apr 01, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 07, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 31, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 31, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 31, 2023
Observation date: Mar 16, 2023
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Mar 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 11, 2022
Submitted by: Vee Huisman
Region: Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 20, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2019
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2020
Submitted by: Robb Hannawacker
Region: Grand County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Dec 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: Staci Gibson
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 12, 2022
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 14, 2022
Observation date: Oct 08, 2022
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Warren County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Nov 09, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 04, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Oct 29, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 30, 2022
Observation date: Oct 14, 2022
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
Observation date: Oct 17, 2022
Submitted by: spmaestro
Region: Ellis County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 21, 2022
- ‹ previous
- 11 of 606
- next ›