Caterpillar foods: Nettles (Urtica, Boehmeria, Laportea), Elm, and Hops – also probably other members of the Urticaceae and Ulmaceae (Bugguide)
Eastern Commas spend the winter as adults, so we see them very early in the spring and late in the fall. They also have a summer generation which has much darker wings. Like other early and late season butterflies, adults eat tree sap and rotting fruit rather than flower nectar.
6/25/2011 Eastern Comma (left), and Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) (right) are very similar from the top, but their underwings are distinctive.
3/16/2009
4/14/2008
6/22/2014
10/4/2003 on a rotten apple
4/16/2009
7/6/2008 the dark summer form
8/30/2017 Larva found on Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). I reared 5 of the 9 or so larvae I found on the nettle plants outside our door.
8/29/2017 larva
9/2/2017 Prepupal larva
9/1/2017 Newly formed chrysalis
9/16/2017 Chrysalis ready to eclose
9/16/2017 newly emerged adult
9/16/2017 newly emerged adult
9/16/2017 adult being released
