The Comma is a Eurasian butterfly with jagged orange-and-black wings and a small white comma on the underside. Its folded wings resemble dead leaves, and it spends the winter as an adult. A wild comma butterfly seen in the United States is more likely a native lookalike.

Appearance

Appearance
Adults have jagged wing edges, orange upperwings with dark spots, and bark-brown underwings marked with a small white comma. Wingspan is about 2.2–2.4 in (55–60 mm).
Seasonal forms
Summer and fall generations can look different. The fall form is darker and has more deeply scalloped wing edges.

Look-alikes

Eastern CommaPolygonia comma

In the eastern United States, a wild orange anglewing with a white comma mark is expected to be Eastern Comma, not this Eurasian species. The two are close enough that a photo without location may not be reliable.

Why they get mixed upBoth have jagged orange-and-black wings, brown leaflike undersides, and a white comma mark.

Where it lives

Typical habitats
  • Eurasian open woodland
  • Eurasian woodland edges
  • sheltered gardens in Britain
Range
The species occurs across Europe and temperate Asia to Korea and Japan. It is not part of the native North American butterfly fauna.
Preferred conditions
In Britain, adults use sunny woodland openings and shelter among dead leaves for winter.

Behavior

Diet
Adults visit flowers for nectar and also take sugar from overripe or fallen fruit in Britain.
Overwintering
Adults in sheltered places and fly again on warm days in spring.

Life cycle

Caterpillar food plants
In Britain, caterpillars feed mainly on common nettle; hops, elms, currants, and willows are also recorded.

Connected species

Caterpillar food plants
  • common nettleUrtica dioica

    In Britain, its caterpillars often feed on common nettle leaves.

Name and classification

About the name
This butterfly has several regional subspecies. It is also called the European Comma.

Conservation

IUCN Red List
LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
14 sources
  1. iNaturalist taxon API: Polygonia c-album
  2. 산네발나비 — 구리시 곤충생태관
  3. シータテハ — 森林総合研究所
  4. シータテハ・キタテハ — 国土交通省九州地方整備局
  5. Scottish Butterflies: Comma — Butterfly Conservation
  6. LepIndex: Polygonia c-album — Natural History Museum
  7. Eastern Comma, Polygonia comma — University of Florida IFAS Extension
  8. Polygonia c-album — The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  9. キタテハ — 森林総合研究所
  10. シータテハ — 愛媛県レッドデータブック2014
  11. 느릅나무 — 한국민족문화대백과사전
  12. ハルニレ — 森林総合研究所
  13. アキニレ — 森林総合研究所
  14. iNaturalist taxon API: Polygonia c-album hamigera
Comma (Polygonia c-album) — identification, habitat & look-alikes | Moeyo