Hoary Comma
Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson, 1867)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is dark red-orange, borders darker; hindwing with yellow submarginal spots. Underside is gray-brown; outer half much lighter, frosted white or silver-gray. Silver spot at center of hindwing is fishhook-shaped.
Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 inches (3.9 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: In the afternoons, males perch on plants in valley bottoms to seek females. Eggs are laid on petioles and undersides of host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves and rest underneath. Adults hibernate.
Flight: Overwintered adults emerge and lay eggs in the spring until June; the new generation appears in July and flies until September, then hibernates.
Caterpillar Hosts: Currants and gooseberries (Ribes), western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), and mock azalea (Menziesia glabella).
Adult Food: Sap and nectar from flowers of sweet everlasting (Gnaphalium) among others.
Habitat: From foothills to treeline woodland streamsides, brushlands.
Range: Boreal North America south of the tundra. Central Alaska south to central California and northern New Mexico; east across southern Canada and the Great Lakes region to New England and the Maritimes.
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 Zephyr, subspecies zephyrus, was previously treated as a separate subspecies.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 984 verified sightings
Observation date: May 21, 2019
Submitted by: Swinak
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 25, 2023
Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 08, 2023
Observation date: May 20, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 05, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 09, 2023
Observation date: Apr 29, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 04, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 04, 2023
Observation date: Apr 29, 2023
Submitted by: LunaLT
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 01, 2023
Observation date: Apr 07, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 08, 2023
Observation date: Apr 01, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 02, 2023
Observation date: Mar 18, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Mar 21, 2023
Observation date: Mar 10, 2023
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 16, 2023
Observation date: Mar 08, 2023
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 30, 2021
Submitted by: Bob Patton
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 13, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: suechiv
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 11, 2023
Observation date: Sep 21, 2019
Submitted by: bbelsey
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 08, 2019
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 07, 2019
Submitted by: tylerjkrul
Region: Denali, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: May 31, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jan 23, 2023
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 03, 2023
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Sep 05, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 28, 2022
Observation date: Sep 24, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 14, 2022
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