Comma

Description:

The butterfly gets its common name from the C or comma-shaped silver mark on the underside of the hindwings (I will show this in another spotting). The genus name Polygonia is a reference to the beautiful ragged wing shape.

Habitat:

The Comma is distributed across most of Europe, but absent from Scotland, Ireland and northern Scandinavia. Beyond Europe it occurs across temperate Asia to northern China, Korea and Japan. It also occurs in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. In spring Commas breed primarily in woodland edge habitats where stinging nettles grow in damp but sunny situations, typically in glades or at the side of grassy tracks. The summer adults are more mobile however, and can breed in gardens, old quarries, along country lanes and railway cuttings, on sheltered areas of scrubby grassland, and at coastal habitats. They freely roam the countryside and can be seen anywhere where stinging nettles grow, but favour sunny sheltered sites with bramble bushes and a profusion of wild flowers.