Attributes of Polygonia faunus
Green Comma
Polygonia faunus (W.H. Edwards, 1862)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Extremely ragged wing edges. Geographically variable. Upperside is reddish brown with wide dark borders; hindwing border contains yellow spots. Underside is brown, outer half lighter; submarginal spots are greenish; hindwing with L- or C-shaped silver spot in center.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 inches (4.5 - 6.4 cm).
Life History: In late afternoon, males perch on rocks or plants in gullies to wait for females. Eggs are laid singly on upper surface of host leaves, which caterpillars eat. Caterpillars are solitary and rest on the underside of leaves. Adults hibernate and mate the following spring.
Flight: One brood from May-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Small pussy willow (Salix humilis), black birch (Betula lenta), alder (Alnus), western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), and gooseberry (Ribes).
Adult Food: Flower nectar, dung, carrion.
Habitat: Forests, mountain streamsides, canyons.
Range: Boreal North America south of the tundra. Central Alaska south to central California and northern New Mexico; east across southern Canada and the Great Lakes region to New England and the Maritimes. A separate population occurs in the southern Appalachians.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 200 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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April 08, 2012 | plex1ppus | Spokane County, Washington, United States | April 09, 2012 | Details |
| September 06, 2011 | SweetDefense | Wallowa County, Oregon, United States | March 11, 2012 | Details | |
| August 09, 2009 | BOGwalker | St Louis County, Minnesota, United States | February 26, 2012 | Details | |
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October 11, 2011 | J. Paul Goossen | Manitoba, Canada | February 07, 2012 | Details |
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September 05, 2009 | Larry522 | Rutland County, Vermont, United States | December 23, 2011 | Details |
| May 27, 2011 | J_Martineau | Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States | November 27, 2011 | Details | |
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September 12, 2011 | J_Martineau | Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States | November 27, 2011 | Details |
| May 14, 2011 | gerryq | Latah County, Idaho, United States | November 11, 2011 | Details | |
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May 21, 2011 | aszure3 | Idaho County, Idaho, United States | November 11, 2011 | Details |
| August 06, 2011 | maddie1001 | Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States | September 11, 2011 | Details | |
| September 07, 2011 | davidwdroppers | Whatcom County, Washington, United States | September 07, 2011 | Details | |
| August 26, 2011 | Jdammarell | Spokane County, Washington, United States | September 03, 2011 | Details | |
| August 28, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Bledsoe County, Tennessee, United States | August 31, 2011 | Details | |
| August 17, 2011 | cpcdolan | Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States | August 27, 2011 | Details | |
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May 13, 2011 | Matt ODonnell | Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States | August 08, 2011 | Details |
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May 29, 2011 | banfathi99 | Alberta, Canada | June 11, 2011 | Details |
| May 14, 2011 | plex1ppus (plex1ppus) | Spokane County, Washington, United States | May 24, 2011 | Details | |
| May 18, 1968 | legacy.reporter (unknown) | Sonoma County, California, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 02, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Alger County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 04, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Mackinac County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 04, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Mackinac County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 08, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Heuvelhorst, Bonnie with Rick Baetsen, DennyBrooks, Katherine Carothers, Andy Carter, Mark Jaunzems, Stephen Kay, Karen Lamonte, Janea Little, Mason Schafer, Melvin Schafer, Richard Urbanek, Myrtle Wilke, Robert Wood) | Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 17, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Granlund, Jim) | Chippewa County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 18, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack) | Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| April 24, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack) | Mackinac County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 01, 1999 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Marquette County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 22, 2000 | legacy.reporter (Johnson, Sharon) | Gogebic County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 27, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Armata, Terri) | Rutland County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 22, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Aversa, Anne) | Essex County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 22, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Eldredge, Betsy) | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 25, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Hack, Ed and Sandy) | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| April 19, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Hack, Ed and Sandy) | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 28, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Hart, Julie) | Essex County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 28, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Hart, Julie) | Essex County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 27, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Hills, Larry) | Chittenden County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 26, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Lambert, Patricia; Lambert, Jim) | Essex County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| April 16, 2002 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Washington County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 06, 2002 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Washington County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 08, 2003 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Caledonia County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 08, 2003 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Lamoille County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 27, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Caledonia County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 27, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Essex County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 31, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Essex County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 30, 2006 | legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan) | Essex County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 21, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Pilcher, Roy) | Rutland County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 14, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Przypek, Joe) | Rutland County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 03, 2003 | legacy.reporter (Schneider, Jerry) | Orleans County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 31, 2007 | legacy.reporter (Faccio, Steve) | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 18, 2003 | legacy.reporter (Fiore, Tom) | Chittenden County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 15, 2003 | legacy.reporter (Hedbor, Jim) | Chittenden County, Vermont, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details |


