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 1070 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 24, 2022
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 22, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Marquette County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 30, 2022
Submitted by: pporonto
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 31, 2022
Observation date: Mar 21, 2022
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2022
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
Observation date: Apr 30, 2018
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 07, 2022
Observation date: Mar 18, 2020
Submitted by: Jill Haukos
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2018
Submitted by: jollygoodyellow
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 21, 2020
Submitted by: cel1gas
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: Adam Nickey
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Jun 23, 2019
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Jun 29, 2015
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Sep 29, 2021
Submitted by: cel1gas
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 30, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: Ssneed
Region: Kalkaska County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2021
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Apr 14, 2016
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 28, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 24, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2021
Submitted by: Birderbobt51
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Chippewa County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 13, 2021
Observation date: Jun 30, 2021
Submitted by: Chris Blomme
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 02, 2021
Observation date: May 29, 2021
Submitted by: Ssneed
Region: Kalkaska County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 30, 2021
Observation date: Apr 01, 2021
Submitted by: Jane Doerges
Region: Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 03, 2021
Observation date: Apr 22, 2021
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 29, 2021
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