| Green comma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| On silver fir, Washington, U.S. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Polygonia |
| Species: | P. faunus |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygonia faunus (W.H. Edwards, 1862) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Polygonia faunus, the green comma, Faunus comma, or Faunus anglewing is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Subspecies include: [3]
Some authors split Polygonia faunus into the above-mentioned subspecies, on the basis of differences in the color of the underside and their distribution. However most authors consider them as regional variants. [8]
This species can be found in the boreal North America, from central Alaska south to central California and northern New Mexico. It is also present across the Great Lakes area to New England, the Maritimes and in the southern Appalachians. The green comma mainly occurs in forests, mountain woodlands, near streams and in canyons. [9]
The wingspan of Polygonia faunus can reach about 45–64 mm. These usually uncommon butterflies show extremely ragged wing edges. They are geographically rather variable. The upperside of their wings is reddish brown with wide dark borders. The hindwing border contains a row of yellow spots. The underside of the wings is grey-brown, but the outer half is lighter, with greenish lichen-simulating submarginal spots in the males. Moreover, the hindwings have a L or a C-shaped silver spot in middle. [9] In the females the wings are more uniform, dull gray below. [10]
This species is most similar to the eastern comma (P. comma), but it can usually be distinguished by the irregular wing margins and the submarginal row of green spots on the underside. It is also strongly associated with the comma butterfly ( Polygonia c-album ) within the genus based on larval development analysis and synaptomorphies. [11]
However the North American populations of Polygonia species can be distinguished from those of Polygonia c-album in the fact that they occur only in cooler regions, with only one brood and without seasonal dimorphism, while the latter species occurs in some milder regions, with more generations and distinct seasonal forms. [8]
Females lay eggs on the upper surface of the leaves of the host plants. The solitary larvae feed on a wide range of hosts, especially on upland willow ( Salix humilis ), Betula lenta , alder, Rhododendron occidentale , and Ribes species. [9] Other recorded plants are Nettles ( Urtica species), Hops ( Humulus species), Elm ( Ulmus species) and Azalea ( Rhododendron species). [8] These butterflies have one generation per year (univoltines) and fly from May to September depending on the location. Adults overwinter until the following Spring. [9]
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. Comma butterflies can be identified by their prominent orange and dark brown/black dorsal wings.
The large skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.
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Melitaea diamina, the false heath fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Polygonia is a genus of butterflies with a conspicuous white mark on the underside of each hindwing, hence the common name comma. They also have conspicuous angular notches on the outer edges of their forewings, hence the other common name anglewing butterflies. The related genus Nymphalis also includes some anglewing species; Polygonia is sometimes classified as a subgenus of Nymphalis.
Morpho deidamia, the Deidamia morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Suriname, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil. It is a species group, which may be, or may not be several species. Many subspecies have been described.
Polygonia comma, the eastern comma, is a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Nymphalinae.
Melitaea didyma, the spotted fritillary or red-band fritillary, is a Palearctic butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Polygonia egea, the southern comma, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Europe.
Nymphalis vaualbum or N. l-album, the Compton tortoiseshell, or false comma, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Danaus eresimus, the soldier or tropical queen, is a North American, Caribbean, and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Polygonia progne, the gray comma or grey comma, is a species of Polygonia that occurs in North America.
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The Provençal fritillary is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in south-western Europe and North Africa. The range extends from the Iberian Peninsula to southern France and the Alps in Switzerland and Italy. It is also found in the Atlas Mountains.
Papilio androgeus, the Androgeus swallowtail, queen page, or queen swallowtail, is a Neotropical butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found from Mexico to Argentina with a small population in southern Florida.
Battus belus, the Belus swallowtail is a species of butterfly from the family Papilionidae that is found in Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru and Venezuela.
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