The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Pearl Crescent

Phyciodes tharos, Drury, 1773

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Tribe Melitaeini

Taxonomy

The family Nymphalidae is the largest butterfly family and includes about 6,000 species which are further divided up into 12 subfamilies.  The common name for the family is the Brushfoots or Brushfooted Butterflies.  This strange name is because the first pair of legs are significantly reduced, sometimes to mere stubs, and look like little brushes.  Some of the most common and well known species are in this group such as the Monarch, Red Admiral, Blue Morpho and Painted Lady.  Some of the longest lived butterflies are in this family with some species living over 10 months as adults.  The Brushfoots are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity found in the tropics.  With this variety, there is also quite a difference in behavior, adult food choices and habitat preference from species to species.

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Phyciodes tharos, mated pair, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 11 June 2009                                                                 Ref #:  I-422-10

Phyciodes tharos, captured by jumping spider, Phidippus audax, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 October 2005     Ref #:  SP-170-18.3

Phyciodes tharos, captured by crab spider, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 11 June 2009                                      Ref #:  I-192-15.2

Phyciodes tharos, captured by crab spider, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 11 June 2009                                          Ref #:  I-192-9.4

Phyciodes tharos, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 September 2005                                             Ref #:  I-327-1.8

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 11 July 2009                                                                                  Ref #:  I-425-11.4

Phyciodes tharos, J. T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve, Cherokee County, Oklahoma, 2 April 2007                                                                  Ref #:  I-366-7.2

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 3 September 2006                                                                           Ref #:  I-359-2.1

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 10 August 2009                                                                                 Ref #:  I-427-20

Phyciodes tharos, Burning Coal Vein Campground, Little Missouri National Grassland, Slope County, North Dakota, 3 August 2002                                           Ref #:  I-139-12.14

Phyciodes tharos, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 19 September 2005                                             Ref #:  I-314-17

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 May 2010                                                                                    Ref #:  I-438-19

Phyciodes tharos, Ouachita National Forest, Beech Creek, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, 28 June 2010                                                                                 Ref #:  I-442-20.3

Phyciodes tharos, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 20 September 2010                                            Ref #:  I-458-2.2

Phyciodes tharos, being wrapped by Black and Yellow Argiope, Argiope aurantia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 28 August 2010

                                                                                             Ref #:  SP-197-8.1

Phyciodes tharos, captured by Black and Yellow Argiope, Argiope aurantia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 28 August 2010

                                                     Ref #:  SP-197-8.1

Aster, Aster sp., a common larval food plant, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                                                    F-54-17.2

General Information:

Phyciodes tharos belongs to the subfamily Nymphalinae.  Its range is throughout much of the eastern two thirds of North America.  It is found in many habitats including open areas such as pastures, road edges, vacant lots, fields and open pine woods.

Lifecycle:

The larval food source includes several species of smooth-leaved true asters, Aster sp.  Males patrol open areas for females.  Eggs are laid in small batches on underside of host plant leaves.  Caterpillars eat leaves and are gregarious when young.  Third instar caterpillars hibernate.

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 October 2005                                                                              Ref #:  I-333-3.6

Phyciodes tharos, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 26 September 2005                                           Ref #:  I-322-20.1

Phyciodes tharos, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 16 April 2006                                                     Ref #:  I-340-14

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 17 October 2006                                                                                Ref #:  I-362-2

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 9 May 2012                                                                                     Ref #:  I-506-8

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 9 May 2012                                                                                   Ref #:  I-506-10

Phyciodes tharos, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 16 May 2012                                                                                   Ref #:  I-512-19

Phyciodes tharos, Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Osage County, Oklahoma, 15 June 2012

                                                                                             Ref #:  I-524-10.2