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 49 - 72 of 1094 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 19, 2018
Submitted by: Donna Millar
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 30, 2018
Submitted by: dhcox57
Region: Madison County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2018
Submitted by: Donna Millar
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: May 05, 2019
Submitted by: Donna Millar
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 28, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Clinton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 28, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2013
Submitted by: soluslupus13
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Jun 08, 2017
Submitted by: Harry Forbes
Region: Franklin County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 08, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 04, 2020
Observation date: Jul 01, 2020
Submitted by: Judith Huf
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 04, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: Futa_Chuta
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
Observation date: Mar 30, 2020
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 27, 2020
Observation date: May 22, 2020
Submitted by: Deinonychus
Region: Otsego County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 24, 2020
Observation date: May 15, 2020
Submitted by: Tony DeSantis
Region: Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 20, 2020
Observation date: May 13, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Newaygo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 14, 2020
Observation date: May 06, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 07, 2020
Observation date: May 01, 2020
Submitted by: Cormath
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 02, 2020
Observation date: Apr 07, 2020
Submitted by: Cormath
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Apr 07, 2020
Observation date: Apr 02, 2020
Submitted by: Cormath
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Apr 02, 2020
Observation date: Apr 25, 2019
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Mar 26, 2020
Observation date: Jul 13, 2018
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 31, 2020
Observation date: Sep 22, 2019
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Keweenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 25, 2019
Observation date: Oct 07, 2019
Submitted by: Ssneed
Region: Otsego County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Oct 12, 2019
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