Phyciodes mylitta, the Mylitta crescent or Mylitta crescentspot, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in western North America.
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. The butterfly flies from June until late July in CanadaMylitta Crescent, Butterflies of Canada and until fall in California. It is found in a variety of habitats, and usually inhabits meadows and stream banks in forested areas.
The larvae are black with spines and white markings. They feed on Cirsium and Carduus species. Adults feed on flower nectar.
Subspecies Listed alphabetically:"Phyciodes Hübner, " at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms 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 Phyciodes pallida – pale crescent
References
External links
Species Phyciodes mylitta - Mylitta Crescent, BugGuide