Polygonia c-album


Valais, Switzerland, April 2004


Valais, Switzerland, July 2006 With Spotted Fritillary and Marbled White, M. didyma and M. galathea

Deeply indented inner margin of wing.			Near straight inner margin of wing
curved with hooks			v-shaped
Separating the Comma, P. c-album (left) and the Southern Comma, P. egea (right)

Comma Polygonia c-album (Nymphalis c-album) Distribution: Much of France and eastwards across Central Europe to S Finland, extremely local in N Spain. Sporadic and local across range. Can be common where found, but usually at low density. Identification: This species and the Southern Comma, P. egea, are distinctive. They have highly scalloped wings, looking like a dead leaf with wings closed. The uppersides are rich orange brown with darker brown spots. The two species are separated: General: - richer darker butterfly, less scalloped wings c-album; paler butterfly, fewer dark markings and more deeply scalloped wings egea. Upperside (underside too, of course, but not visible from below): - inner margin: deeply curved in c-album, small indent in egea. Underside: - white comma on the underside hindwing: rather U-shaped with a small hooks at the ends in the c-album , V-shaped "sans-serif" (no hooks) in egea. - underside general mottling: confused and broken up in c-album, striated and parallel in egea. - underside with row of green-blue spots in post discal area in c-album, no spots in egea. Flight time: The first generation emerges around June/ July. There is a partial second generation in August/ September. The butterfly hibernates as an adult, emerging on the first warm days of spring in March or April. For more detail about the remarkable breeding strategy, see additional notes. Habitat: Woodland and gardens. Larvae feed on various plants such as Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Sallows (Salix), Elms (Ulmus) and Currents (Ribes). Behaviour: Often one of the first butterflies on the wing after hibernation in spring. Hibernates as an adult where its cryptic underside markings and broken wing shape make the butterfly look like a dead leaf. It rests amongst leaves and on tree truncks, possibly also inside outbuildings. Additional notes: Some adults from the first generation hibernate, as do all the adults from the second generation. Two forms emerge from the first brood - the typical dark brown form and a lighter, brighter form hutchinsoni. It appears that only the hutchinsoni individuals are sexually active, mating quickly and laying to produce the second brood. Non-hutchinsoni individuals go into hibernation immediately. None of the second brood is of form hutchinsoni thus these are not sexually active and they go into hibernation. After winter all the hibernated butterflies, from 1st and 2nd broods, become sexually mature. There is some evidence that hutchinsoni individuals may be generated if larvae are exposed to lengthening day lengths, and non-hutchinsoni from shortening day lengths. Thus if conditions are good early in the year, more larvae will become sexually active hutchinsoni, generating a larger second brood. The converse of course being equally valid.


Rila Mts, Bulgaria, July 2004 The white comma is clearly visible.


Valais, Switzerland, April 2004 Several individuals were feeding avidly on Sallow catkins.


Valais, Switzerland, April 2004


Middle Atlas, Morocco, June 2005


Macedonia, Greece, July 2000

Comma