Comma
While working in the garden this week, we saw a Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) They are quite common but this one came to rest on a newly planted pot. The soil was very wet and I wondered if it had landed there for a drink. It stayed for a short while, then fluttered away.
The Comma is one of the first butterflies to be seen, appearing from late February. They are common throughout the summer. Much of the males’ time is spent looking for a mate. Females mate with several males and will always choose well-fed healthy males. Favoured foodplants include the common nettle, elms, currants and willow, but nettle leaves are the most popular places for females to lay their eggs.
A century ago, the Comma was a rare sight, but it is now widespread throughout England and Wales and is expanding ever northwards, spreading rapidly in Scotland, and making occasional appearances in Northern Ireland. Its relatively recent success is ascribed to climate change.
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Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
It is called the Comma because it has a white comma mark on its underwing. At rest, it resembles a dried leaf, which makes it difficult to spot when it’s on a tree or hibernating. Although early adult butterflies generally live for about a month, there are two breeding cycles. The later, summer breeding produces butterflies which hibernate, emerging the following spring to produce the next generation. In late summer adults preparing to hibernate can be seen feasting on blackberries and over-ripe plums to build up their reserves for the winter ahead.
Very pretty. I don't think I ever saw one but am pretty hopeless at lepidop...whatever butterfly science is called.
ReplyDeleteI would pause to see the Commas.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and really good information about the butterfly.
ReplyDeleteIf females mate with several males, the healthiest and best looking men, no wonder the other males spend their lives looking for a mate
ReplyDeletePoor darlings.
We have several butterfly-friendly plants around the garden and every so often we get quite the show.
ReplyDeleteButterflies always seem a bit magical to me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool butterfly! I never knew about the Comma’s leaf disguise and white mark—so interesting
ReplyDeleteI have never seen one so perhaps we don't have them in Australia, the most common one seen around here is the Monarch and even those are a rare sight these days. I'm more likely to see native wasps coming and going from the mud nest on the wall upstairs.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see - you are very lucky as there is Big shortage of butterflies in my garden this year.
ReplyDeleteWe get really excited when we see butterflies, they are definitely a rare sight these days,
ReplyDeleteHi Janice - the Commas are special aren't they ... it doesn't seem a very good year for butterflies - but I do hope we can protect their habitat - good to see these apparently are thriving. Great post - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have seen one here. In fact, apart from a few little white jobs there don't seem to be many butterflies around now.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen more butterflies this summer, my garden is full of mature plants and loads of veg, which is good food and shelter.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when we had a buddleia covered with butterflies. The buddleia died, and we are not seeing many butterflies this year.
ReplyDeleteI don't see as many Commas here as I do Question Marks. We have Elm trees and that's where ours lay eggs. But with the cold wind spring that we've had we actually are seeing very very few butterflies.
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