Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Nymphalidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Anthanassa | |
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Similar Anthanassa, Phyciodes phaon, Phyciodes, Asterocampa, Chlosyne lacinia | ||
The Texan Crescentspot (Anthanassa texana) is a species of butterfly in the Nymphalidae family. It is found from Guatemala north through Mexico to southern California, east across the southern United States to northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Strays may be found up to Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota, and central Nevada. The habitat consists of deserts, dry gulches, open areas, streamside’s, road edges, and city parks.
The wingspan is 32–48 mm. The outer margin is indented below the tip of the forewing. The upperside is black with small white spots and some rusty red near the wing bases. The hindwings have a median band of cream-colored spots. Adults are on wing from March to November in southern Florida and Arizona. They are on wing year-round in southern Texas and the tropics. There are several generations per year. Adults feed on flower nectar.
The larvae feed on the leaves of various low-growing plants of the acanthus family, including Diciliptera brachiata, Jacobinia carnea, Beloperone, Siphonoglossa, and Ruellia species.