Birds & Blooms Extra! - USA (2020-09)

SEPTEMBER EXTRA 2020 birdsandblooms.com 69

A friend gave

me a few asters several

years ago. The purple

blooms attracted this

bright pearl crescent.

Paul Hogsett

HALIFAX, PENNSYLVANIA

This little guy

visits the sunflowers

growing beneath a window

in my front yard nearly

every day. I grew these

blooms from seeds saved

many years ago from my

grandmother’s garden.

Amy Doza

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

I love how the

dark background allows

the colors of this photo to

stand out. It made my day

when this pearl crescent

stayed on the bloom for

such a long time! I got

several good pictures.

Maria Brueggemann

INDEPENDENCE, KENTUCKY

Mostly brown with a cream stripe down the side,

pearl crescent caterpillars have many small spikes.

WINGSPAN

About 11/4 inches.

DISTINCTIVE

MARKINGS

The upperside of each wing

is orange with large black

patches and stripes. A small,

pale crescent moon-shaped

marking is on the underside

of each hindwing.

RANGE

Most of the U.S. east

of the Rockies and parts

of southern Canada.

HABITAT

Gardens, fields, roadsides

and near woodlands.

HOST PLANTS

Many types of asters.

EGGS

Adults lay minuscule

white-green eggs in clusters

on host plants.

NECTAR FAVORITES

Asters are your best bet for

attracting pearl crescents,

but they’ll visit almost

any butterfly favorites.

Pearl

crescent

CATERPILLAR: BRETT HONDOW/GETTY IMAGES