July 14, 2003. To see where this butterfly has been reported, visit: The Ontario Butterfly Atlas Online. Member of Family: Nymphalidae. Therefore, they might show up in residential areas with wooded areas that host those types of trees. Pale/Winter from - Nepean, ON 2011/04/27. Nov 23, 2016 - Butterflies that Live in California with Designs and Sayings . See more ideas about butterfly, beautiful butterflies, butterfly quotes. The gray comma has a wingspan between 1 5/8 and 2 inches. Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) is a beautiful anglewing species of deciduous woodland habitats in eastern North America. The larvae of many species feed on leaves from trees in both the elm and willow families. The Gray Comma may be told from all the other anglewings by its grayish underwing color and tapered, L shaped, unbarbed "comma" mark on the hindwing beneath. Next >> Crysler, ON 2014/08/23. wisconsinbutterflies.org It has a wingspan of up to 50mm with jagged edges to both fore and hindwings. Silver spot at center of hindwing is fishhook-shaped. The Comma butterfly is a common British butterfly and one of the most easily identified species when seen settled. Apparently this serves to deter predators. contact The species has a flexible life cycle, which allows it to capitalize on favourable weather conditions. French common name: Polygone gris. They seem particularly fond of the semi-open Hawthorne grove at the western edge of the woods, where I have reliably found them every year for four years now. The numbers and abundance of individuals of these species varies from year to year. There is a white curve that looks like the punctuation comma, giving the butterfly its name. However, it would enter hibernation if the stage coincides with the winter. Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 inches (3.9 - 5.7 cm). Eggs are laid singly on host plant leaves. Florida Museum of Natural History Gainesville, FL 32611 352-846-2000 (Exhibits) The Eastern Comma is very similar above. This marking is often used as the key identifying characteristic. We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources. If a predator or other enemy approaches, they wave both ends of their bodies from side to side. Hoary Comma. © 2021 The dot nearest the trailing edge of the upper wing usually does not have any faint spot above it. This butterfly is very similar to the more numerous Eastern Comma, and care should be taken to distinguish the two. Other possible host plants include Rhododendron nudiflorum (pinxter flower), occasionally birch, and dubiously elm (Scott, 1986). Determined by a combination of upper hindwing black border wide with small yellow spots, underwing surfaces charcoal gray and heavily striated, silver-white "comma" on the under hindwing tapered at both ends. Gray Comma does not seem to be a common butterfly in the Chicago area. https://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly/species/85-gray-comma During hibernation, their yellow-brown coloration keeps them hidden among dead leaves, working as an effective defense mechanism. The border is lined with a few small yellow spots. Caterpillars eat native gooseberry species and are also reported on azaleas. Next >> Crysler, ON 2014/08/23 ... French common name: Polygone gris. Gray Hairstreak Butterfly Chrysalis static1.1.sqspcdn.com. Gray Comma Polygonia progne: Genus Polygonia Subfamily True Brushfoots Family Brushfooted Butterflies All Massachusetts Species: ... Massachusetts Butterfly Atlas Website: More info: Butterflies of Massachusetts Website: Photo by Erik Nielsen - 8/18/2002 Pittsburg, NH : Top of Page. Butterflies, in their different life stages, have many ways of avoiding predators. Similar species: If you can see the underside hindwing, question marks have a dot next to the curved white marking, and eastern commas have blunt ends on the white comma. Two … The Gray Comma over winters as an adult, breeds and has a new generation in June and early July, and then has a second generation in August and September that over winters. Members of this family have the first pair of legs small, brushlike, and held against the body, so they perch and walk only with their back two pairs of legs, making them appear four-legged. When they perch on tree bark, they are virtually invisible. | Since the adults overwinter, these are some of the earliest spring butterflies, taking wing at the first few warm days, about mid-March here, near Chicago. Adults may occasionally visit flowers, but they prefer tree sap and decaying fruit. about. Common throughout the state, but probably more common in the northern counties. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui): A small ( 2" max) migratory brushfoot butterfly. Gray Hairstreak Chrysalis cdn.butterflyatlas.org. The underside of the Gray Comma is charcoal gray with fine dark striations; forewing with 3-4 light arrows in a dark border. Find local MDC conservation agents, consultants, education specialists, and regional offices. When settled, with wings closed, the dark broken outline of the butterfly blends in cryptically with its surroundings making it very difficult to see. Gray comma butterfly (Polygonia progne) Great Basin fritillary butterfly (Speyeria egleis) Great spangled fritillary butterfly (Speyeria cybele) Green comma butterfly (Polygonia faunus) Gulf fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) Hackberry emperor butterfly (Asterocampa celtis) Hoary comma butterfly … Viewed from above, the dark border of gray commas varies by season: in summer, the border is quite wide, but the winter form has it narrower, covering only about a fourth of the wing. Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) << Previous. Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network. ... Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) << Previous. It can be told from the Question Mark by its smaller size, more ragged wing outline, and "comma" on the underside of each hindwing; from the Gray Comma by the "comma" shape and by overall ventral coloration (see under Gray Comma). The butterfly gets its name from the only white marking on its underside, which resembles a comma. As explained on the Eastern Comma page, we are retaining the common name as Gray Comma, as opposed to Gray Anglewing, as is used on the Butterflies of America website. Gray Comma Butterfly. Compton Tortoiseshell. Caterpillars are yellowish brown with dark markings. These butterflies fly in June through August. The dorsal hindwing of the gray comma lacks the central dark smudge that is present on the eastern comma. Comma The Comma is a fascinating butterfly. The two “commas,” however, lack the question mark’s hyphen-like line over the three black forewing spots. Underside is gray-brown; outer half much lighter, frosted white or silver-gray. Mourning Cloak. Choose your favorite comma butterfly designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more! [The photo above is] a female Satyr comma I saw this spring. As the artist Georgia O’Keeffe said about flowers, “Nobody sees a flower — really — it is so small it takes time — we haven’t time — and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”. Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) << Previous. More than 700 species in North America north of Mexico, Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants, The 3 black forewing spots lack a black line above, Hindwing “comma” marking is L-shaped with tapered ends, “Comma” mark also lacks the additional dot of the question mark, Much grayer beneath than the eastern comma or question mark. Location: Black Forest Tr, PA. Photo by Betty Steil. Gray Comma is among the "Switchers;" butterfly species which have been known to adopt non-native host plants (Table 3). Milbert's Tortoiseshell. When resting with wings closed this butterfly has excellent camouflage, the jagged outline of the wings giving the appearance of a withered leaf, making the butterfly inconspicuous when resting on a tree trunk or when hibernating. There is a small, silver L-shaped or comma-shaped mark in the center of the hindwing. Two broods. They feed on the undersides of leaves. Open woodlands, woodland edges, and along roadsides and trails through wooded areas. Dark/Summer form - Pelham, ON 2013/06/26. Satyr Comma. These individuals will hibernate. Horseshoe Bend Park, Hunterdon Co., NJ, 4/12/15. North Gower, ON 2012/03/22. Comma butterflies can be identified by their prominent orange and dark brown/black dorsal wings. Average Wingspan: 2.2-2.4 inches. | With Green and Eastern Commas, the comma marks on the females sometimes lack the barbs on the ends, leading people to mis-identify them as Gray Commas. The scales, whether muted or colorful, seem dusty if they rub off on your fingers. Congratulations if you can tell the difference between a gray comma and eastern comma! The Eastern Comma, in common with other "anglewings", has pronounced indentations along the wing margins. Adult: Like its close relatives, the eastern comma (P. comma) and question mark (P. interrogationis), the gray comma has an orange and black dorsal (top) side of the wings. North Gower, ON 2012/03/22. They feed primarily on tree sap in the early spring. Their eggs then hatch, grow as caterpillars, pupate, and emerge at new winter-form adults in October. Comma butterflies are a small genera of brushfoots found primarily in wooded areas of the United States. Seen from below, the hindwing "comma" marking of the gray comma (Polygonia progne) is L-shaped and narrows to a fine point at each end. Northern Kettle Moraine State Park, Fond du Lac Co., WI. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. These living jewels have tiny, overlapping scales that cover their wings like shingles. All comma butterfly artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Tie Mill Rd., Florence Co., WI. The pupa has a shelled-groundnut-like shape and color, with fine velvety protrusions all over the body. privacy policy July 27, 2005. Butterfly gardening, watching, and photography are rewarding avocations. Shop for comma butterfly art from the world's greatest living artists. Note also that the forewing has a dark outer edge with several black chevrons in it. Gray Comma is a woodland butterfly, found at Fermilab in the "Big Woods" (ELM-24) on the western part of the site. Many of these activities contribute to butterfly conservation, so they are things that you can feel good about. Winter-form adults overwinter in hibernation and emerge in springtime. Holding on with only the middle pairs of prolegs, they bend the front half of their body to the side and lift the rear end into the air. Similar species: The gray comma (Polygonia progne) may be slightly smaller overall, but like the eastern comma, its three forewing spots are not topped by a black line. Like the Eastern Comma, the Gray Comma has two seasonal forms, with the summer form being much darker on the hindwing. If you can find wounded trees dripping sap, you'll find both gray and eastern commas as … the gray comma typically rests with wings closed, with only the camouflaged gray undersides showing. When not actively feeding , the caterpillars rest on the undersides of leaves or on leaf stems. Eastern Comma. As adults, the gray comma typically rests with wings closed, with only the camouflaged gray undersides showing. The Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network engages citizen scientists in the process of collecting quantitative data on butterfly populations. If you love butterflies, there are many ways to increase your enjoyment. Breeding resident found in local colonies across the state. This species is in a butterfly family called the brush-footed butterflies. Many butterflies and moths are associated with particular types of food plants, which their caterpillars must eat in order to survive. That was never more apparent than yesterday (July 1) when Jonathan Nikkila (hooray – you get pictures), my wife Jen and I went to Fontenelle Forest, Kinter’s Ford SWMA, Four Mile Creek SWMA and Table Rock SWMA. Dirt logging roads and camp sites in deciduous woods are good places to look for Gray Commas. The Gray Comma and the Eastern Comma are both found throughout the state in open woodlands and along roadsides through wooded areas. Above, this species is similar to the Eastern and Gray Commas, but has very jagged wing margins and is more boldly marked with black including an often prominent black dot just above the dot nearest the trailing edge of the upper wing, a dot that is lacking or faint in the Eastern Comma and Gray Comma. Yellowstone S.P., Lafayette Co., WI. In a folded position, their wings are brown and black, resembling the colors of a dead leaf. state_status: SR - S1: fed_status: G5: synonym: other_name: Gray Anglewing: edit_done: page_num: 76: sort_order: 76.0 Wingspan: 1 3/4-2". Call 1-800-392-1111 to report poaching and arson. Posts about Gray Comma written by hpahaska. It is typically found in woodland areas, especially along creeks and on brushy slopes. July 6, 2006. You can also rear the caterpillars, join butterfly organizations, or participate in “citizen science” programs. Brushfoots (con't) Gray Comma (Polygonia progne): Similar to the Eastern Comma below but with more pronounced light spots along its … French common name: Polygone gris. Horseshoe Bend Park, Hunterdon Co., NJ, 7/29/13. The Eastern Comma usually has a dark spot in the middle of the hindwing that is not present in the Gray Comma. Polygonia c-album, the comma, is a food generalist (polyphagous) butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae.The angular notches on the edges of the forewings are characteristic of the genus Polygonia, which is why species in the genus are commonly referred to as anglewing butterflies. The forewing has a dark outer edge with some black chevrons in it. Milbert's tortoiseshell is simply stunning, with a wide orange band of color … The gray comma is more local in occurrence than either the eastern comma or the question mark. The dot nearest the trailing edge of the upper wing is usually nonexistent in the Gray Comma, very faint in the Eastern Comma, and dark and obvious in the Green Comma and the Satyr Comma. In the lighter, fall/spring form of the Gray Comma, there are usually only two noticeable dark spots. | This shows you’ve definitely progressed beyond a “beginner” level in butterfly identification. Adults fly spring through fall, and overwintering adults may emerge from their resting places and fly around on warm winter days. Beneath, the color is charcoal gray and finely streaked with dark lines. Member of Family: Nymphalidae. Butterflies, skippers, and moths belong to an insect order called the Lepidoptera — the "scale-winged" insects. Green Comma. Pale/Winter from - Nepean, ON 2011/04/27. The scalloped edges and cryptic colouring of the wings conceal hibernating adults amongst dead leaves, while the larvae, flecked with brown and white markings, bear close resemblance to bird droppings. But here are extra clues: the eastern comma can be slightly larger, and its wings are less noticeably streaked. The Eastern Comma has markings that look like a comma (,) on the underside of its hindwings. Above, the wings are orange with black margins and black dots, and a row of lighter spots in the margin of the hindwing. The small white “comma” mark on the hindwing is L-shaped and narrows to a fine point at each end. Next >> Crysler, ON 2014/08/23. Dark/Summer form - Pelham, ON 2013/06/26. It takes around 7-10 days to emerge into a butterfly. Lest anyone be confused the “Big Year” is not a solo effort. Gray Comma, Eastern Comma, and Question Mark are informally called "anglewings," referring to the irregular wing margins. Males perch on shrubs near clearings and wait for females to fly near. Gray Comma. Note the missing end of the comma. The Gray Comma is a medium-sized butterfly with a bright orange and brown on the top of the wings and a darker border on the hind wing.