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 1 - 24 of 6910 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 15, 2025
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jun 27, 2025
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jun 09, 2021
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 09, 2025
Observation date: Jun 06, 2025
Submitted by: MetamorphMe
Region: Barrow County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Jun 26, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 29, 2025
Observation date: Jun 15, 2025
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 13, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 13, 2025
Observation date: May 08, 2025
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: May 15, 2025
Observation date: Apr 26, 2025
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 26, 2025
Observation date: Apr 22, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 24, 2025
Observation date: Jun 11, 2024
Submitted by: mothman27
Region: Whitley County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 21, 2025
Observation date: Mar 10, 2025
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 24, 2025
Observation date: Feb 24, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 25, 2025
Observation date: Jan 28, 2025
Submitted by: sayornis_lacnm
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 06, 2025
Observation date: Jan 28, 2025
Submitted by: sayornis_lacnm
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 30, 2025
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 15, 2025
Observation date: May 27, 2024
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 13, 2025
Observation date: Sep 21, 2024
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 10, 2025
Observation date: Mar 20, 2020
Submitted by: jmacmetro
Region: Hudson County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 18, 2024
Observation date: Apr 25, 2020
Submitted by: Hmknj
Region: Camden County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 18, 2024
Observation date: Apr 07, 2020
Submitted by: Miya
Region: Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 18, 2024
Observation date: Jun 06, 2024
Submitted by: indigobirding
Region: Noble County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 07, 2024
Observation date: Oct 28, 2024
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2024
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