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'Seminole' Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana)

Family: Nymphalidae
FNAI State Rank: S3

Range: Florida Panhandle and peninsula south to approximately Pasco, Lake, and Brevard counties
Seasonal Occurrence: March through November, varies with location

Habitat: sunny areas of swamps and moist forests
Host Plants: plants in the Acanthaceae familly such as water-willow (Justicia)

This form of the Texan Crescent is considered a full species by some authorities. The 'Seminole' Texan Crescent prefers moist habitats as opposed to the drier habitats used by more westerly populations. This butterfly is unusual among eastern butterflies in that its main population center is in northern Florida. Its populations tend to occur in colonies.

Information on seasonal occurrence and host plant in Florida is extracted from Glassberg et al. (2000) Butterflies through Binoculars: Florida, Oxford University Press, and Cech et al. (2005) Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer's Guide, Princeton University Press.