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| Crescents (Genus Phyciodes) |
I immediately need to explain why I have not identified these butterflies down to species. It's another genetic mess of similar species in the same genus: the Northern Crescent and the Pearl Crescent. In northern Vermont, we see both. My rule of thumb used to be that the Northerns had yellow clubs and were the first of the season. The Pearls were smaller and came later in the summer. But my identifications have been challenged by butterfly biologists, and one cannot argue with them. Now, I only go to genus. I can't even share any verified photos of either species because all IDs, I read, are suspect.
Pearl Crescents and Northern Crescents are often confused, and the identity of some examples shown on Butterfly websites and in books is debatable. Generally Northerns are obviously larger and dominated by orange above, with the dark borders tending to be narrower. The veins in the mid portion of the wing are more likely to be orange than in Pearl Crescents (more likely mostly black there). Pearls, especially the males, tend to have a lot more black above, and often very wide dark borders. Below Northerns tend to be more orange on the hind wings. Pearls often have the antennal clubs entirely dark or with only a small whitish tip (apparently the males always do in the Northeast), but this varies from place to place and individually. None of these is a totally relaible (sic) trait by itself, and the "overall picture" is important, one needs to avoid focusing on just one or two details when trying to separate these two species, and different traits may work better or worse in one region than in another. The traits of a line through the middle of the hind wing with dark veins in Pearls, and not in Northerns (at least in males) doesn't always work, and should be taken with a grain of salt.
from "Species Phyciodes cocyta - Northern Crescent -Hodges#4481.1"
But anyhow.
I came home to these two puddling in the driveway and was able to get some shots of them. They are beautiful, bright, tiny little creatures and I love to see them. Somehow, they impart happiness in ways that other butterflies do not.
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If you want more identifying information on the two species, try these reads and photos:
and, as Bugguide says:I used to be obsessed with identifications being down to species. But that has, thankfully, passed. Now I can simply relax, enjoy, and take the best photos I can so that perhaps future people can settle their names. At least Phyciodes does not interbreed. That I know of. 😉
