"Tulcis" Crescent (Phyciodes tulcis [Bates])
Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/8 inches (3.2 - 3.5 cm).
Identification: Outer margin of forewing is only slightly indented. Upperside is black with white markings; hindwing with wide white median band.
Life history: Eggs are laid in batches on underside of host plant leaves; caterpillars feed at night in groups.
Flight: May-November in South Texas.
Caterpillar hosts: Dicliptera species in the acanthus family.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Second growth and open fields.
Range: Argentina north through Central America and Mexico to South Texas; strays to west Texas and southern Arizona.
