Phyciodes phaon

Phaon crescent
both on Grand Cayman
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Division:	Rhopalocera
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Phyciodes
Species:	P. phaon
Binomial name
Phyciodes phaon (W.H. Edwards, 1864 )

Phyciodes phaon (the Phaon crescent or mat plant crescent) is a species of butterfly found in Florida, neighboring states, West to New Mexico and South to Cuba (since the 1930s) and the Cayman Islands where is it known as the Crescent spot.^[1]

Mating behavior

There are several flights (early spring to late fall) in the northern part of the range and nearly year round in peninsular Florida. Males patrol open areas near host plants for females. Mating occurs primarily during mid day. Eggs are laid in clusters on the undersides of leaves of the fogfruit host plants. The common host throughout much of Florida is turkey tangle fogfruit (Phyla nodiflora).

References

1. R. R. Askew and P. A. van B. Stafford, Butterflies of the Cayman Islands (Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2008) ISBN 978-87-88757-85-9, pp. 55-56