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 193 - 216 of 6962 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Knox County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 05, 2023
Observation date: May 24, 2020
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2022
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
Observation date: May 16, 2023
Submitted by: ADelehoy
Region: Payne County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: May 29, 2023
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: lilkriskattn
Region: Texas, Montague County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 27, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: May 03, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 18, 2023
Observation date: May 16, 2023
Submitted by: lilkriskattn
Region: Texas, Montague County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 16, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: lilkriskattn
Region: Texas, Montague County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 16, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 15, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 15, 2023
Observation date: Apr 11, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 09, 2023
Observation date: May 06, 2023
Submitted by: lilkriskattn
Region: Texas, Montague County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 07, 2023
Observation date: Apr 17, 2023
Submitted by: frogbandit
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 28, 2023
Observation date: Apr 22, 2023
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Hopkins County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 28, 2023
Observation date: Mar 27, 2023
Submitted by: sdgoebel
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 22, 2023
Observation date: Apr 19, 2023
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Pulaski County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 21, 2023
Observation date: Mar 15, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 21, 2023
Observation date: Apr 18, 2023
Submitted by: 2doxieLisa
Region: Texas, Sabine County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 20, 2023
Observation date: Apr 20, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 20, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Apr 16, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Torrance County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 14, 2023
Observation date: Apr 11, 2023
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Horry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 12, 2023
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