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Comma

Polygonia c-album

Not yet photographed by the community

Ragged wing edges and white comma mark on underside.

Species Profile

Green List; stable and increasing in the UK over recent decades

Lifespan: 7–10 months in the wild, with adults overwintering and emerging in spring
Size & Weight: Wingspan 38–47 mm; weight approximately 0.5–0.7 g
Habitat: Open woodland edges, scrubland, hedgerows, gardens, and areas with scattered nettles and hop plants.
UK Distribution: Widespread throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; resident and partially migratory with continental immigration in autumn.
Diet: Caterpillars feed primarily on stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and hop (Humulus lupulus); adults feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, dung, and occasionally flower nectar.
Predators: Spiders, parasitic wasps, birds including robins and flycatchers, and small reptiles.
Mating Season: March to September, with peak activity in spring and late summer
Breeding: Two or three broods per year; females lay eggs singly on host plants; caterpillars take 3–4 weeks to develop; pupation lasts 1–2 weeks.
Behaviour: Highly territorial males perch on vegetation or tree trunks, darting out to investigate passing insects. Adults roost with wings folded vertically, displaying the distinctive white comma-shaped mark on the underwing. Overwintering adults emerge on warm winter days.

Did You Know?

•The comma marking on the underwing of the hindwings is the source of its name and helps distinguish it from similar species.
•This species has undergone a remarkable range expansion northwards in the UK since the 1970s, likely due to climate change and increased availability of hop plants.
•Males exhibit perching behaviour, spending hours waiting for females whilst sitting on prominent vegetation.
•The species has a rapid, bouncy flight pattern and is difficult to photograph in the field.
•Adults can survive for up to 10 months, making them one of the longest-lived British butterflies.

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