[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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