Gray Comma
Polygonia progne (Cramer, 1775)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is bright orange-brown; summer form has hindwing with a wide dark border, winter form has the border covering only about 1/4 of the wing; both enclosing a few small yellow spots. Underside is charcoal gray with fine dark striations; forewing with 3-4 light chevrons in a dark border. Silver mark in center of hindwing is small, slender, and L-shaped.
Wing Span: 1 5/8 - 2 /12 inches (4.4 - 6.3 cm).
Life History: In midafternoon, males perch on trees or shrubs at the edges of clearings to wait for females. Eggs are laid singly on leaves of host plants; the caterpillars feed underneath. Adults overwinter.
Flight: Two flights from hibernation, mates, and lays eggs which develop into the summer generation. Summer adults fly from June-August, laying eggs of the winter generation which appears in October and then hibernates.
Caterpillar Hosts: Gooseberries (Ribes) and azalea (Rhododendron).
Adult Food: Sap; rarely flower nectar.
Habitat: Along dirt roads, along streamsides, and within clearings in rich deciduous or confierous woods, in aspen parks, yards, and gardens. Often in hilly terrain or canyons.
Range: Northwest Territories and British Columbia south along Pacific coast to central California, southeast through Montana, Utah, Colorado, and the Dakotas to eastern Nebraska, central Kansas, and central Arkansas; east through southern Canada and the northern United States to Maine and the Maritimes; south in the Appalachians to North Carolina.
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 Gray Comma includes Polygonia oreas and its subspecies silenus and nigrozephyrus. These were previously treated as a separate species.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1008 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 17, 2019
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Mar 21, 2019
Observation date: Jul 02, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Mar 04, 2019
Observation date: Jun 20, 2018
Submitted by: kathybrown
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 26, 2019
Observation date: Jun 21, 2018
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Rensselaer County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 21, 2019
Observation date: Aug 08, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 24, 2018
Observation date: Dec 22, 2018
Submitted by: triciablich
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 23, 2018
Observation date: Sep 13, 2017
Submitted by: Gary Walton
Region: Carlton County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 22, 2018
Observation date: Sep 04, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 22, 2018
Observation date: Jun 13, 2018
Submitted by: Leslie Warren
Region: Mahoning County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 07, 2018
Observation date: Sep 01, 2018
Submitted by: LadyKimariah
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jul 28, 2018
Submitted by: Marcia Goodrich
Region: Houghton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 30, 2018
Observation date: Jul 13, 2018
Submitted by: KS.trailwalker
Region: Anderson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 20, 2018
Observation date: Jul 12, 2018
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2018
Observation date: Jul 15, 2018
Submitted by: Colin Gillette
Region: Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 16, 2018
Observation date: Jul 08, 2018
Submitted by: davidboon
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 08, 2018
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: beastbreath
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 05, 2018
Observation date: Jun 20, 2018
Submitted by: Tony DeSantis
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 03, 2018
Observation date: Jun 29, 2018
Submitted by: pporonto
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 30, 2018
Observation date: Jun 21, 2018
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Rensselaer County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 21, 2018
Observation date: Jun 11, 2018
Submitted by: johngor
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 12, 2018
Observation date: May 07, 2018
Submitted by: monikawood
Region: Steuben County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 13, 2018
Observation date: Apr 27, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Apr 28, 2018
Observation date: Sep 15, 2016
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 29, 2017
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: David M. Gascoigne
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 27, 2017
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