Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta) is a small butterfly, with a wingspan of 1.125 to 1.5 inches. It is a full-season butterfly in our local area, flying from the end of February through the end of October. Numbers peak in June. Host plants are Thistles, including native Thistle (Cirsium), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), and European Thistles (Carduus).
Males have just one shade of orange on the upper side, females have several different shades of orange. The outside borders of forewings and hindwings are edged with yellow/orange crescents for both sexes. Males are quite territorial.
This butterfly is found only in North America.
Open, male *
Open, female *
Closed
Mating pair *
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