Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos (Drury, 1773)    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Lepidoptera   >   Family Nymphalidae   >   Genus Phyciodes   

Status:

The Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) is a familiar and common species, with an orange upperside and intricate blackish markings through the interior. This butterfly is found across the state throughout the warmer months, into November (Butterflies of Maryland: A Biological Summary and Checklist by Lynn Davidson & Richard Smith). It is distributed generally in fields, meadows, gardens, and many other open habitats, and is easily identified and learned even by those with a casual interest in butterflies.

Relationships:

Pearl Crescent is known to use various asters as larval hosts, including White Panicle Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum), Hairy White Oldfield Aster (S. pilosum), and Smooth Blue Aster (S. laeve), and probably others. For instance, captive specimens have been reared on New England Aster (S. novae-angliae).

There are 1,872 records in the project database.

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A Pearl Crescent in Harford Co., Maryland (8/24/2014). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Howard Co., Maryland (8/29/2015). Photo by Kevin Heffernan. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/10/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Prince George's Co., Maryland (10/2/2021). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. Photo by Sergei Drovetski. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Allegany Co., Maryland (7/14/2006). (c) Bill Hubick, all rights reserved. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/24/2016). Photo by Andy Wilson. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Kent Co., Maryland (6/23/2022). (c) Nils Helstrom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Nils Helstrom via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Allegany Co., Maryland (6/29/2020). (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/19/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/13/2020). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. Photo by Sergei Drovetski. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/28/2020). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (10/26/2020). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Howard Co., Maryland (9/25/2016). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/26/2017). Photo by Emily Carter Mitchell. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/8/2018). (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Harford Co., Maryland (7/23/2017). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescents in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/18/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Dorchester Co., Maryland (5/10/2019). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Mating Pearl Crescents in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/6/2019). Photo by Pauline Horn. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/30/2017). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/15/2010). (c) Bill Hubick, all rights reserved. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Allegany Co., Maryland (6/11/2014). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/6/2019). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Montgomery Co., Maryland (7/4/2021). (c) Nick Hobgood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Nick Hobgood via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescents in Talbot Co., Maryland (5/7/2017). Photo by Erica Weick. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent on Purple-headed Sneezeweed in Charles Co., Maryland (6/30/2007). (c) Bill Hubick, all rights reserved. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Baltimore City, Maryland (7/3/2014). Photo by Mike Hudson. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent collected in Frederick Co., Maryland (5/7/2001). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent collected in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/4/2000). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Dorchester Co., Maryland (8/24/2021). (c) Wendy McCrady, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Wendy McCrady via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Washington Co., Maryland (5/25/2018). Very ragged at the tail end of its first brood. Photo by Rick Borchelt. (MBP list)

A close-up of a Pearl Crescent collected in Prince George's Co., Maryland (8/20/2013). Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescents in Harford Co., Maryland (8/6/2017). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/9/2020). (c) vickiebell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by vickiebell via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/29/2021). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Pearl Crescent in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/1/2023). (c) Kyle Klotz, all rights reserved. Photo by Kyle Klotz. (MBP list)

A Pearl Crescent in Worcester Co., Maryland (8/7/2013). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)


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