Eastern Comma Butterfly ( Larva )

Description:

Family: Nymphalidae The Eastern Comma, is a North American butterfly, in the family Nymphalidae. This butterfly is seasonally variable. The upper side of the summer forms hind wings, are all black, where as the winter forms hind wings, are reddish- orange. The underside of both forms, is striped with dark and light brown. There is a silvery comma mark, in the middle of the hind wing, in both forms. It's wingspan is, 1.8 to 2.5 inches. This butterfly seldom visits flowers, but rather feeds on sap, rotting fruit, salts and minerals from puddling, and dung. Host plants: False Nettle, Hops, Wood Nettle, American Elm, and Nettle. The green eggs are laid singly, or in stacks, under host plant leaves and stems. The spiny larva, varies in color, from pale green to yellow to white, and even to black. The solitary larva, feeds on leaves at night. Older larvae, construct daytime leaf shelters, by pulling a single leaf together with silk. The chrysalis, is brown, and is covered with spines. Winter form adults overwinter, some will also migrate south for the winter. Species in the genus Polygonia, are referred to collectively, as the anglewings. The Eastern Comma, is also known as the 'Hop Merchant' and the 'Comma Anglewing'. With the wings folded, it resembles a dead leaf, and is also highly cryptic. The Eastern Comma, is found throughout most of the eastern United States, south to north central Florida, and the northern Gulf states, etc. I found a caterpillar, inside a leaf shelter, that it had constructed. This caterpillar, was one inch long. It had a black head. It had branched spines, on its body. Some of the colors that I saw, was black, orange, brown, etc. This caterpillar was alive.

Habitat:

The Eastern Comma, may be spotted in woods near rivers, ponds, marshes, swamps, and other water sources.

Notes:

One year, I went to Valdosta, Georgia, to do some exploring, in the woods up there. While I was exploring, I came upon an area, that was near a pond, that had flowers, plants, grasses, weeds, and trees, growing there. I saw some Hops, and Nettle plants growing there. These two plants, are the host plants, for the Eastern Comma Caterpillar. One caterpillar that I saw, was one inch long. It had a black head. It had branched spines, on its body. Some of the colors that I saw, was black, orange, brown, etc. This caterpillar was alive. I found this caterpillar, inside a leaf shelter, that it had constructed.