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 433 - 456 of 6968 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 14, 2021
Submitted by: sherilc
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Apr 20, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: Mayaich17
Region: Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2019
Submitted by: systanfield
Region: St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 27, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 28, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 28, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 27, 2021
Observation date: May 23, 2021
Submitted by: Katherine Ashley
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 20, 2021
Observation date: Jun 16, 2021
Submitted by: tedzimmerman
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 17, 2021
Observation date: Jun 16, 2021
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 16, 2021
Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 16, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 15, 2021
Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: abwest
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 12, 2021
Observation date: Jun 07, 2021
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 10, 2021
Observation date: Jun 06, 2021
Submitted by: Nina Jenkins
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 06, 2021
Observation date: Jun 05, 2021
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 06, 2021
Observation date: May 26, 2021
Submitted by: Howard Nemerov
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 27, 2021
Observation date: May 25, 2021
Submitted by: alaimins
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 25, 2021
Observation date: May 20, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: May 22, 2021
Observation date: May 02, 2021
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 22, 2021
Observation date: Apr 30, 2021
Submitted by: sharon.joines@g...
Region: Grayson County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 22, 2021
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