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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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 409 - 432 of 1113 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 03, 2003
Submitted by: khemeon (Hemeon, Kevin)
Region: Bennington County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (VBS staff)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Sep 06, 2010
Submitted by: Steve Craig
Region: Christian County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Apr 09, 2011
Observation date: Aug 26, 2010
Submitted by: Steve Craig
Region: Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Apr 08, 2011
Observation date: Aug 30, 2010
Submitted by: Steve Craig
Region: Christian County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Apr 08, 2011
Observation date: Sep 25, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (David Dawson)
Region: Dent County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Oct 12, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Henry Domke)
Region: Callaway County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Apr 13, 2010
Submitted by: Alice (Alice Hill)
Region: Greene County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: nathanbrockman (Nathan Brockman)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Sep 13, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jack H. Harris)
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Apr 13, 2010
Submitted by: Alice (Alice Hill)
Region: Greene County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: nathanbrockman (Nathan Brockman)
Verified date: Sep 21, 2010
Observation date: Sep 13, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jack H. Harris)
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Sep 21, 2010
Observation date: Sep 25, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (David Dawson)
Region: Dent County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Sep 21, 2010
Observation date: Oct 12, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Henry Domke)
Region: Callaway County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Sep 21, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA (Paul Opler)
Region: Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA (Paul Opler)
Region: Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Nov 01, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Steve Craig, Amy Short)
Region: Christian County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Aug 29, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kevin Firth)
Region: Taney County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Oct 16, 2009
Observation date: Jul 07, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kevin Firth)
Region: Lawrence County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Aug 21, 2009
Observation date: Sep 17, 2008
Submitted by: ozcomomoths (Rhonda Herndon)
Region: Ozark County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phil Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 18, 2009
Observation date: Sep 26, 2008
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Custer County, Montana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Steve Kohler')
Verified date: Mar 13, 2009
Observation date: Sep 13, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ted Wilcox)
Region: Watauga County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: harrylegrand (Harry LeGrand)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 25, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Marcy Cunkelman)
Region: Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright (David Wright)
Verified date: Dec 11, 2008
Observation date: Jun 19, 2008
Submitted by: curtis.lehman (Curt Lehman)
Region: Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright (David Wright)
Verified date: Dec 11, 2008
Observation date: May 16, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Rudolf & C. Ely)
Region: Polk County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Season Summary)
Verified date: Oct 20, 2008
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