Eastern Comma (Butterflies of Alabama)

Eastern Comma

Polygonia comma

Summary ⁵

The Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) is a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Nymphalinae.

North american ecology (us and canada) ⁶

Polygonia comma is a resident of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, and is somewhat migratory outside that range (Scott 1986). Habitats are woods and suburbs. Host plants are vines and herbs and known hosts are limited to a few species from several families including Moraceae, Ulmaceae, and Urticaceae. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly or in stacks up to nine in a pile. Individuals overwinter as adults. There are variable numbers of flights each year depending on latitude, there are one or two flights, between late June and Late Aug., in the southern part of their range there are probably three flights (Scott 1986).