Windwolf
Crex Meadows Butterflies... Northern Crescent
Northern Crescent
Phyciodes selenis
Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches (3.2 - 4.8 cm).
Caterpillar hosts: Asters, in the sunflower family (Asteraceae).
Eggs are laid in bunches of about 40 on the underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves, and young ones live and feed communally.
Moist open areas in rocky places, wooded streams, marsh edges, and shale barrens.
Picture taken June 12, 2007
The Northern Crescent is a very common Crescent on Crex Meadows. Identification can be difficult unless the underside of the wing is observed. There remains some discussion as to whether the Pearl Crescent is the same species.
Picture to the left take June 12, 2007
Color variation when looking at an open wing specimen can vary much with the Northern Crescent. Click Here to see 3 of these guys for an example of the variation in top coloring.
Picture below taken June 20, 2007.
| Kingdom | Animalia | (Animals) |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | (Arthropods) |
| Superclass | Hexapoda | (Hexapods) |
| Class | Insecta | (Insects) |
| Subclass | Pterygota | (Winged Insects) |
| Order | Lepidoptera | (Butterflies and Moths) |
| Superfamily | Papilionoidea | (Butterflies) |
| Family | Nymphalidae | (Brushfooted Butterflies) |
| Subfamily | Nymphalinae | (Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc) |
| Genus | Phyciodes | |
| Species | selenis | (Northern Crescent) |