male Montana crescent
male Phyciodes pulchella montana (formerly Phyciodes campestris montana)
If I wasn't careful, I might mistake the topside (dorsal) for a female Mylitta crescent! Technically this is a subspecies of the field crescent, but considering I won't see this anywhere near where I live, I prefer to think of it as being a different entity entirely. Our Monterey County field crescents (Phyciodes pulchella pulchella) are much darker than this, looking like a predominantly dark brown butterfly vs. an orange one.
Hi Katie, I like his striped antennae and his wings make me want to paint. How big was this butterfly? Nice photos.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous colors and patterns!
ReplyDeleteHi Jeannette! Ya, since it's mud-puddling and not nectaring on a flower (useful for relative size), it's hard to tell, huh? Crescents are sorta small, about the size of a healthy skipper. Here's a good comparison photo next to the much larger fritillary (think monarch-sized): http://joeschelling.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/cresc-fritt.jpg
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