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 169 - 192 of 1111 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 22, 2014
Submitted by: Doug Taron
Region: Winnebago County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Sep 11, 2014
Observation date: Aug 18, 2014
Submitted by: Trailmaker
Region: Jefferson County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 03, 2014
Observation date: Jul 26, 2014
Submitted by: juliereid
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 27, 2014
Observation date: Jul 16, 2014
Submitted by: juliereid
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 16, 2014
Observation date: Jul 05, 2014
Submitted by: Carmel Mothersill
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 06, 2014
Observation date: Apr 28, 2014
Submitted by: soluslupus13
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 24, 2014
Observation date: May 15, 2014
Submitted by: W. R. Evans
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 19, 2014
Observation date: Apr 24, 2014
Submitted by: chuckcmt
Region: Valley County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Apr 28, 2014
Observation date: Aug 04, 2013
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Mar 24, 2014
Observation date: Mar 15, 2014
Submitted by: mdolomieu1
Region: Greene County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Mar 21, 2014
Observation date: Aug 02, 2013
Submitted by: curtis.lehman
Region: Tucker County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 17, 2014
Observation date: Sep 06, 2013
Submitted by: soluslupus13
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 04, 2014
Observation date: Sep 01, 2013
Submitted by: soluslupus13
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 26, 2014
Observation date: Aug 10, 2011
Submitted by: Kari
Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 19, 2014
Observation date: Jul 21, 2013
Submitted by: soluslupus13
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 19, 2014
Observation date: Nov 05, 2013
Submitted by: Stephanie Walquist
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 07, 2013
Observation date: Sep 15, 2013
Submitted by: mdolomieu1
Region: Greene County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Oct 15, 2013
Observation date: Jul 14, 2013
Submitted by: dpgbfly1
Region: Isanti County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 11, 2013
Observation date: Sep 07, 2013
Submitted by: 402family
Region: Rock County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 11, 2013
Observation date: Sep 24, 2013
Submitted by: Colleen62
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 24, 2013
Observation date: Jun 29, 2013
Submitted by: Dave Kinney
Region: Wexford County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jul 17, 2013
Observation date: Jul 12, 2013
Submitted by: saapple
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 14, 2013
Observation date: Sep 25, 2010
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Barron County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 06, 2013
Observation date: Jul 29, 2011
Submitted by: Naseem Reza
Region: Door County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 06, 2013
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