Phyciodes mylitta

Mylitta Crescentspot

I have seen this butterfly from May to October, and it may well be double-brooded. The caterpillars feed low down, near the ground, on thistle. The young caterpillars nibble away at the upper surface of the leaves and, with practice, it is possible to recognize these half-eaten leaves. The butterfly is sexually dimorphic, and the specimen illustrated is a male. In the female, the background colour is not as uniform as on the male, some cells being dark orange, others a more pale yellow. The butterfly is sexually dimorphic. The third and fourth photos are a male. The fifth is a female.