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 457 - 480 of 6968 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 10, 2018
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 17, 2021
Observation date: May 03, 2021
Submitted by: Vflynt
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 10, 2021
Observation date: May 06, 2021
Submitted by: Davi
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 10, 2021
Observation date: May 09, 2021
Submitted by: Mayaich17
Region: Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 10, 2021
Observation date: May 05, 2021
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 07, 2021
Observation date: May 01, 2021
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2021
Observation date: Apr 14, 2021
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 17, 2021
Observation date: Apr 07, 2021
Submitted by: nerfherder452
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 09, 2021
Observation date: Mar 07, 2021
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Dennis Allen)
Region: Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 18, 2021
Observation date: Mar 10, 2021
Submitted by: Anne Wills
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 15, 2021
Observation date: Oct 15, 2012
Submitted by: NigelBI
Region: Washington (Block Island) County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Mar 06, 2021
Observation date: Jun 08, 2019
Submitted by: wpr.wheeler
Region: Washington County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Mar 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Rensselaer County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Mar 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2020
Submitted by: amparrish15
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 27, 2020
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2020
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 21, 2020
Submitted by: KarKar
Region: Clay County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2016
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Allendale County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Aug 25, 2019
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Scioto County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Feb 23, 2021
Observation date: Oct 01, 2019
Submitted by: Wade Wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Jack Connor
Verified date: Feb 17, 2021
Observation date: Jan 30, 2021
Submitted by: sdgoebel
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 02, 2021
Observation date: Apr 20, 2020
Submitted by: astrojr1
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 28, 2021
Observation date: May 02, 2020
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 27, 2021
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