Polygonia comma
Polygonia comma, autumn generation
Polygonia comma ( Syn: nymphalis comma ) is a butterfly ( butterfly ) of the family Nymphalidae ( Nymphalidae ).
- 4.1 Notes and references
- 4.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan from 45 to 64 millimeters. The blades are serrated on the outer edge and color very variable. The base color depends primarily on the season. The so-called " summer - generation " is on the front wings dyed almost black and brown on the hind wings. The " Herbst-/Wintergeneration ", however, shows an orange to brown-red color. All butterflies are drawn with a black, brown and yellow spot pattern. The wing undersides are mottled in graduated shades of brown. What is striking is the white C- mark in the middle.
Caterpillar
Adults caterpillars can appear in a variety of color combinations. They show, for example, green white or yellow-white, green, brown, reddish brown, pink or black shades. To this end, the distributed all over the body spines are white or yellow. Younger caterpillars stages are colored black in the root.
Similar Species
Polygonia comma resembles many polygonia species, in particular, these include:
- The C- Falter ( Polygonia c -album), which is native to Europe, North Africa and Asia, and thus forms no geographical overlap.
- Polygonia faunus distinguished by a row of green spots on the hind wing undersides.
- Polygonia interrogationis is distinguished by a mostly broken C-Tick mark and a weaker mottling on the hind wing undersides.
- Polygonia satyrus shows a more yellow-brown coloration on the upper wing surface and settled mainly western and northern areas of North America.
Geographical distribution and habitat
Polygonia comma occurs in the southeastern states of Canada and the eastern United States and is therefore referred to there as "Eastern Comma ". The distribution extends from the Rocky Mountains to the east and to the south from Canada to Texas and the Gulf Coast .. The animals prefer wet terrain, such as riparian areas, shady forests and moorlands.
Way of life
It makes several generations per year. The last generation overwinters as moths. At rest, they like to sit on the floor and fold their wings upright together. They then act like a withered leaf. This makes them to predators hardly recognizable. The moths rarely visit flowers. Instead, they prefer water points, overripe fruit and manure to the intake of food and minerals. The females lay the green eggs often piled on each other at the food plants from. The caterpillars like to live in spun nests and feed on a wide variety of plants, for example nettle family ( Urticaceae ), elm family ( Ulmaceae ) or hemp plants ( Cannabaceae ). At hops ( Humulus ) they are rarely harmful.