Phyciodes texana seminole host plant

[Paulette Haywood]

I am trying to solve a puzzle related to Texan crescents (Phyciodes texana 
seminole) and their larval food plant.  The population I am looking at 
occurs along the banks of the Alabama River in Montgomery County, Alabama.  
A friend has observed them there for several years and has only seen them 
along one narrow sandy beach at the base of a cut bank.  This year I have 
made several trips and after repeated searches up and down the river have 
also found them only in this one small area.  Water willow (Justicia 
americana) abounds along many sections of the river, but none is near this 
spot.  While Ruellia occurs sporadically along some of the banks, I have 
been able to locate none near this spot. In short, I can find nothing that 
seems to belong to the Acanthus family. Up the bank are large stands of 
Wingstem (Verbesina) but it is my understanding that this is a host for 
Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) rather than P.t. seminole. I am 
puzzled as to why this small population seems to exist only in this spot 
when other areas of the river have so much Justicia. Does anyone have any 
thoughts about what other hosts for P.t. seminole might be?

Thanks,
Paulette Haywood
Birmingham, AL
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