Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
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The Pearl Crescent is a rather small, orange checkered butterfly. It looks quite similar to the Vesta Crescent but the markings tend to be darker on the pearl. This species is often seen on the pathways in the Garden.
Crescents are named for a small white spot in that shape near the outer edge on the underside of their hindwings. In some species this is rather obscure but in the pearl crescent, it can be very clear.
In the photo below, the tiny first leg that is modified as a chemoreceptor in butterflies of this family is evident, folded up directly behind the eye.
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class: Insecta / order: Lepidoptera / family: Nymphalidae / genus: Phyciodes / species: tharos
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