Attributes of Polygonia gracilis
Hoary Comma
Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson, 1867)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is dark red-orange, borders darker; hindwing with yellow submarginal spots. Underside is gray-brown; outer half much lighter, frosted white or silver-gray. Silver spot at center of hindwing is fishhook-shaped.
Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 inches (3.9 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: In the afternoons, males perch on plants in valley bottoms to seek females. Eggs are laid on petioles and undersides of host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves and rest underneath. Adults hibernate.
Flight: Overwintered adults emerge and lay eggs in the spring until June; the new generation appears in July and flies until September, then hibernates.
Caterpillar Hosts: Currants and gooseberries (Ribes), western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), and mock azalea (Menziesia glabella).
Adult Food: Sap and nectar from flowers of sweet everlasting (Gnaphalium) among others.
Habitat: From foothills to treeline woodland streamsides, brushlands.
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.
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. Note:The Zephyr, subspecies zephyrus, was previously treated as a separate subspecies.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Polygonia gracilis
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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 400 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.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
To change which map layers are displayed, click on the plus sign [+] on the right side of the map.
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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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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March 31, 2013 | plex1ppus | Spokane County, Washington, United States | April 01, 2013 | Details |
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July 11, 2012 | Oldwarrior | Teller County, Colorado, United States | February 24, 2013 | Details |
| July 17, 1996 | legacy.reporter (John B. Vernon) | Elko County, Nevada, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 22, 1997 | legacy.reporter (R. Stanford-A. Warren) | Greenlee County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 01, 2001 | legacy.reporter (Ray Stanford) | Navajo County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| November 15, 2002 | legacy.reporter (Ray & Kit Stanford) | Greenlee County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 14, 2005 | legacy.reporter (Ray & Kit Stanford) | Pinal County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
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September 15, 2012 | buddhasghost | Pierce County, Washington, United States | October 02, 2012 | Details |
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April 22, 2012 | Jdammarell | Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States | September 28, 2012 | Details |
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August 12, 2012 | plex1ppus | Okanogan County, Washington, United States | September 22, 2012 | Details |
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September 15, 2012 | PDunwiddie | Pierce County, Washington, United States | September 18, 2012 | Details |
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September 16, 2012 | PDunwiddie | King County, Washington, United States | September 18, 2012 | Details |
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September 01, 2012 | PDunwiddie | Pierce County, Washington, United States | September 03, 2012 | Details |
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August 25, 2012 | John Barry | King County, Washington, United States | August 27, 2012 | Details |
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July 31, 2012 | DanielleM | Park County, Wyoming, United States | August 17, 2012 | Details |
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July 15, 2012 | Peggy O | Taylor County, Wisconsin, United States | July 18, 2012 | Details |
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July 01, 2012 | PDunwiddie | Kittitas County, Washington, United States | July 02, 2012 | Details |
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June 23, 2012 | amdurso | Cache County, Utah, United States | July 01, 2012 | Details |
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May 27, 2012 | PDunwiddie | Yakima County, Washington, United States | June 04, 2012 | Details |
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May 06, 2012 | PDunwiddie | Skagit County, Washington, United States | May 08, 2012 | Details |
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March 15, 2012 | joeschelling | Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States | March 23, 2012 | Details |
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July 16, 2009 | sararobinson | Yellowstone National Park County, Wyoming, United States | March 08, 2012 | Details |
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July 19, 2011 | Nancy Lea Sandy | Natrona County, Wyoming, United States | March 08, 2012 | Details |
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October 15, 2011 | ScottFromWyoming | Park County, Wyoming, United States | March 04, 2012 | Details |
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June 20, 2009 | sararobinson | Carbon County, Montana, United States | February 01, 2012 | Details |
| July 17, 1996 | legacy.reporter (John B. Vernon) | Elko County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 14, 1977 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 22, 1977 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 28, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| September 27, 1978 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 26, 1978 | legacy.reporter (C. S. Lawson) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 24, 1979 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 24, 1979 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 10, 1979 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 20, 1965 | legacy.reporter (Anna Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 15, 1979 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| September 28, 1977 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 08, 1977 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 15, 1973 | legacy.reporter (unknown) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 13, 1972 | legacy.reporter (D. E. Allen) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 08, 1974 | legacy.reporter (James A. Scott) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 17, 1963 | legacy.reporter (J. F. Lesser) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
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September 20, 2011 | sugarmck | Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States | December 17, 2011 | Details |
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July 24, 2011 | cpcdolan | Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States | August 09, 2011 | Details |
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May 14, 2011 | plex1ppus (plex1ppus) | Spokane County, Washington, United States | May 23, 2011 | Details |
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May 14, 2011 | plex1ppus (plex1ppus) | Spokane County, Washington, United States | May 17, 2011 | Details |
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April 24, 2011 | gerryq | Latah County, Idaho, United States | May 03, 2011 | Details |
| June 30, 1986 | legacy.reporter (unknown) | El Dorado County, California, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 19, 2005 | legacy.reporter (William Bouton) | Tuolumne County, California, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| March 14, 2011 | Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport) | Tulare County, California, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details |
