Bug FAQMylitta Crescent
Phyciodes mylitta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
The Mylitta Crescent butterfly has a wingspan of about 26 to 37 mm and orange wings with black markings and a white fringe; females are darker than males. It lives in western North America, favoring meadows and stream banks in forested areas, and its adults fly from early summer through fall depending on the region.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The wings are orange with black markings and a white fringe on the edges; females appear darker than males.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 26 to 37 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits a variety of habitats, especially meadows and stream banks within forested areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars are black with spines and white markings and feed on thistles such as Cirsium and Carduus species. Adult butterflies sip nectar from flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period runs from June to late July in Canada and extends to fall in California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in western North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the pale crescent (Phyciodes pallida).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on thistles, specifically Cirsium and Carduus species.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult Mylitta Crescents?
Adults fly from June to late July in Canada and into the fall in California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Mylitta Crescent found?
It lives in western North America, especially in meadows and stream banks within forested areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyciodes_mylitta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.