[Ctleps-l] Crescent (Phyciodes) species in CT
Epmanshell at aol.com
Epmanshell at aol.com
Mon Sep 9 20:07:41 EDT 2013
The CT Butterfly Atlas (2007: 240) noted that specimens from CT listed
under the name Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) may represent a complex of
closely related sibling species.
Over the last few days, there has been an interesting discussion on the MA
listserv about the fact the fact that there appears to be a Crescent
(Phyciodes) species in MA different that the true Pearl Crescent that can, under
limited circumstances, be identified in the field.
Specifically, males of this Crescent species apparently can recognized by
the color of the tips of the antennae- black in the case of the true Pearl
Crescent (P. tharos); orange in the case of this Crescent species.
This identification criterion totally breaks down in the case female
Crescents where it is easy to find females of the same Crescent species with a
mixture of orange, black and multicolored orange and black antennal clubs.
On the 7/14/2013 CBA field to Flaherty Field Trial Area, East Windsor, a
number of trip participants photographed an aberrant Crescent that appears
to be an example of this Crescent species. It was a male and the orange
tips of the antennal clubs were easily visible in photographs sent to me.
Surely other CT butterfly observers have seen this potential Crescent
species in the state but simply lumped it under the name Pearl Crescent.
Lenny Brown
Wallingford
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