Mylitta crescent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mylitta crescent
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Phyciodes
Species:	P. mylitta
Binomial name
Phyciodes mylitta (W.H. Edwards, 1861)
Synonyms
Melitaea mylitta Edwards, 1861 Eresia mata Reakirt, 1866 Phyciodes mylittus Higgins, 1981 Phyciodes pallidus

The Mylitta crescent (scientific name: Phyciodes mylitta) is a pretty butterfly. It's also sometimes called the Mylitta crescentspot. This butterfly lives in the western parts of North America. It's part of a large group of butterflies called the Nymphalidae family, which are often known as brush-footed butterflies.

These butterflies are not very big. Their wingspan usually measures between 27 and 32 millimeters. That's about the length of a small paperclip! You can often spot them flying around from June until late July, especially in places like Canada.

What Do Mylitta Crescents Eat?

The young Mylitta crescent butterflies, called larvae (or caterpillars), have a special diet. They love to munch on plants from the Cirsium and Carduus groups. These plants are commonly known as thistles. So, if you see thistles growing, you might find some Mylitta crescent caterpillars nearby!

Different Kinds of Mylitta Crescents

Just like there can be different types of dogs, there are also different types, or subspecies, of the Mylitta crescent butterfly. These subspecies are slightly different versions of the same butterfly. They might have small differences in their looks or where they live.

Here are some of the known subspecies:

• P. m. arizonensis
• P. m. arida
• P. m. mexicana
• P. m. mylitta
• P. m. thebais

Butterflies That Look Similar

Sometimes, it can be tricky to tell butterflies apart because some look very much alike! The Mylitta crescent has a close relative that looks quite similar.

One butterfly that looks a lot like the Mylitta crescent is the pale crescent (Phyciodes pallida). If you see a butterfly that looks like a Mylitta crescent but seems a bit lighter in color, it might be a pale crescent instead!