# Eastern Comma

*Polygonia comma*

It gets its name from a tiny, bright silver mark on the underside of its hindwing that looks exactly like a comma punctuation mark.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Nymphalidae › Polygonia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous woodlands, river valleys, swamps, and damp wooded edges.
- **Diet:** Tree sap, rotting fruit, animal dung, and occasionally flower nectar. Larvae feed on nettles, hops, and elms.
- **Range:** Eastern North America, Southern Canada, Midwestern United States, Appalachian Mountains
- **Size:** Wingspan of 4.5 to 6.4 cm (1.75 to 2.5 inches).
- **Lifespan:** Adults of the summer generation live a few weeks, while the overwintering generation can live up to 10 months.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, heavy pesticide use, and the clearing of host plants like nettles and native elms.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. You can safely observe this butterfly at a close distance as it basks on logs or tree trunks. If it lands on you, it is likely seeking the salt and minerals in your sweat; remain still and gentle to avoid startling it.

## About

Polygonia comma , the eastern comma , is a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Nymphalinae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/d4b7d3bf-c808-4ba0-bc24-289f8076371b
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/54064
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonia comma
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/5119036/medium.jpg (Judy Gallagher, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.