Bug FAQNorthern Crescent
Phyciodes cocyta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Also called: Pearl Crescent
The northern crescent butterfly has a wingspan of about 32 to 38 mm. It lives in open areas such as fields, meadows, glades, and woodland openings and is found throughout the Nearctic region. Caterpillars eat plants in the aster family, while adults sip nectar from dogbane, fleabane, and white clover.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 32 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in fields, meadows, glades, and woodland openings.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on plants of the Asteraceae family. Adults drink nectar from dogbane, fleabane, and white clover.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from June to July, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Occurs in the Nearctic realm.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Similar species include the tawny crescent (Phyciodes batesii) and the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 50 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, California.
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
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyciodes_cocyta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.