Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

Common and widespread in NC, these butterflies can be found on the wing from Spring into Fall and often visit flower gardens. Males and females are distinguished by the shape of the tip of the abdomen (fine point in females; blunt in males).

Beware that identification can be challenging at times, and Pearl Crescents can be confused with Mimic Crescent (P. incognitus), Phaon Crescent (P. phaon), and Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis).

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Pettigrew State Park
Washington Co., NC
21 June 2006

Mated pair with the male on the right.


Male Clay Co., NC 21 May 2005	same individual Note black underside of clubs

Where their ranges overlap in the NC mountains with Mimic Crescents, Pearls are generally smaller and the undersides of the antennal clubs on males are black (not red-orange). Note that the tips of the clubs may have varying degrees of orange, as this individual shows.

same individual as above; close-up of antennal clubs


Male Haywood Co., NC; 13 May 05	same individual


Male Haywood Co., NC; 13 May 05	Female Haywood Co., NC; 13 May 05


Female Durham Co., NC 1 May 2005	Female Watauga Co., NC 27 June 04


Female Person Co., NC Mayo Lake County Park 6 Sep 2003	Female Brunswick Co., NC 31 May 2004


Female Buncombe Co., NC 8 July 2006	Female, same individual Buncombe Co., NC 8 July 2006


Female Durham Co., NC 3 Oct 2004	Male Caswell Co., NC 17 Jun 2006


Female Watauga Co., NC 23 July 2006	Female Watauga Co., NC 23 July 2006


Male Watauga Co., NC 23 July 2006

This odd looking crescent was found injured and unable to fly well in Caldwell Co, NC 28 June 2003.

North Carolina Butterflies | North American Butterflies | Jeff's Nature Page

Created on ... June 28, 2003 | Updated on ... Nov 25, 2006 | jspippen@duke.edu