Pollinator
Question mark
Polygonia interrogationis
A ragged-winged anglewing named for a silver mark on the hindwing.
- Family
- Nymphalidae (anglewings)
- Wingspan
- 2.25 to 3 in (5.7 to 7.6 cm)
- Flight season
- Spring to fall; overwinters as an adult
- Range
- Eastern North America
- Caterpillar food
- Elm, hackberry, nettles
- Conservation
- Secure and widespread
An anglewing with ragged, hooked wings, the question mark is named for the tiny silver mark, a curved line and dot, on its hindwing underside, which is otherwise mottled to mimic a dead leaf.
A butterfly of woodland edges and gardens, it prefers sap, rotting fruit, and dung to flowers, and overwinters as an adult.
Caterpillars feed on elm, hackberry, and nettles.
Plants for the question mark
11 native plants with documented flower-visit records. Narrow with the filters below.
11 plants
1 of 2
1 of 3
1 of 3
1 of 2
1 of 2
1 of 2
1 of 2
1 of 3No plants match those filters.
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).