Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis (Fabricius, 1798)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Forewing hooked; upperside is red-orange with black spots. Upperside hindwing of summer form is mostly black with a short tail; that of winter form has much orange and a longer, violet-tipped tail. Underside is light brown; hindwing with pearly white question mark in center.
Wing Span: 2 1/4 - 3 inches (5.7 - 7.6 cm).
Life History: Males find females by perching on leaves or tree trunks in the afternoon, flying to chase other insects and even birds. Females lay eggs singly or stacked under leaves of plants that are usually not the hosts. Caterpillars must find a host plant; they then eat leaves and live alone. Adults of the winter form hibernate; some staying in the north, many migrating to the south.
Flight: Overwintered adults fly and lay eggs in the spring until the end of May. The summer form emerges and flies from May-September, laying eggs that develop into the winter form; these adults appear in late August and spend the winter in various shelters.
Caterpillar Hosts: American elm (Ulmus americanus), red elm (Ulmus rubra), hackberry (Celtis), Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus), nettles (Urtica), and false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica).
Adult Food: Rotting fruit, tree sap, dung, carrion. Only when these are unavailable do Question Marks visit flowers such as common milkweed, aster, and sweet pepperbush.
Habitat: Wooded areas with some open space, city parks, suburbs, fencerows.
Range: Southern Canada and all of the eastern United States except peninsular Florida, west to the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, south to southern Arizona and Mexico.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 409 - 432 of 6968 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 06, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Apr 05, 2021
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: CPCurrie
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: JMGotts
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: NYBennie
Region: Tioga County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: Christabwiggin
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 27, 2021
Submitted by: J_stone16
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 26, 2021
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Jul 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2020
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 22, 2021
Submitted by: nc1marm
Region: St. Clair County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 08, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 11, 2021
Submitted by: Sapper Dan
Region: Bell County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 24, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: Laurie Mac
Region: Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Oct 03, 2018
Submitted by: cindybrown
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: woody meristem
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
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