Nymphalis vaualbum

Compton Tortoiseshell
N. v. j-album, Temagami, Ontario
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Nymphalis
Species:	N. vaualbum
Binomial name
Nymphalis vaualbum ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775))[1]
Subspecies
N. v. vaualbum Esper, 1781 N. v. j-album (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)[1]
Synonyms
Papilio l-album Papilio vau album Vanessa l-album Polygonia l-album Nymphalis l-album Roddia l-album Roddia vaualbum Roddia vaualbum

The Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum), also known as the False Comma, is a species in the Nymphalidae family.

Description

underside

The underside of both the male and females wings are dark mottled brown, much like tree bark. While the outside is "dull" and bark-like, the inside is orange-brown with dark tips. There is a single white dot or comma on the underside of each wing of both males and females, hence the name False Comma.

Distribution

It is seen in deciduous and coniferous forest in a wide range throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The nominate subspecies (N. v. vaualbum) is found throughout central Asia. The subspecies, N. v. j-album's, range consists of Alaska and Canada south into Montana and Wyoming. They are seen east to New England and eastern Canada and south to North Carolina and Missouri. They rarely migrate to Newfoundland and Labrador, Nebraska, and Florida. You can also find this species in temperate Eurasia.

Life cycle

The adult female will lay her eggs in a clump on the host plant. Once the eggs hatch the caterpillars will feed together until they pupate. There is one brood thast flies from July to November.

Larval foods

• Populus
• Salix
• Betula populifolia
• Betula papyrifera

Adult foods

• Plant sap
• Rotting fruit
• Willow nectar

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Compton Tortoiseshell, Butterflies of Canada

• "Butterflies and Moths of North America (Compton Tortoiseshell)". Montana State University. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1763. Retrieved 2008-10-15. 
• Kaufman, Kenn; Brock, Jim P. (2003). "Tortoiseshells". Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 200. ISBN 978-0-618-76826-4.