Eastern comma

Polygonia comma

A ragged-winged anglewing marked with a silver comma, a leaf come to life.

Family: Nymphalidae (anglewings)
Wingspan: 1.75 to 2.5 in (4.5 to 6.3 cm)
Flight season: Spring to fall; overwinters as an adult
Range: Eastern North America
Caterpillar food: Nettles, elm, hops
Conservation: Secure and widespread

Another anglewing, the eastern comma is named for the silver comma-shaped mark on its ragged hindwing underside, which mimics a dead leaf. Above it is orange with black spots.

A butterfly of moist woods and edges, it favors sap and fruit over flowers and overwinters as an adult, appearing early in spring.

Eastern comma caterpillar — The spiny caterpillar feeds on nettles, elm, and hops. Christopher Zacharias · CC BY (iNaturalist)

Caterpillars feed on nettles, elm, and hops, often at night.

Sources

Butterflies and Moths of North America ↗
iNaturalist ↗
Plant associations from GloBI flower-visit records and NPIN larval-host data. Butterfly photographs via iNaturalist (CC BY).

Plants for the eastern comma

Sources