- Hoary Comma
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Hoary Comma Conservation status Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Nymphalidae Tribe: Nymphalini Genus: Polygonia Species: P. gracilis Binomial name Polygonia gracilis
(Grote & Robinson, 1867)Synonyms Nymphalis gracilis
The Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis) is a species of butterfly, common in boreal North America from Alaska, across southern Canada to New England and the Maritime Provinces and south to New Mexico from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The wings have a distinctive ragged edge.[1][2]
Adult butterflies feed on tree sap and nectar from flowers. Caterpillars feed on shrub leaves including currant, western azalea and mock azalea.
The species survives the winter in the adult stage in diapause and mate and lay eggs in the spring. Butterflies emerge from their chrysalids in midsummer.
References
- ^ Sommer, Stefan; Denise Knight, Stephanie McDowell, Stephen Burton, Ean Harker. "Polygonia gracilis". Digital Atlas of Idaho. http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/bio/insects/butrfly/famnymph/pogrf.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
- ^ Opler, Paul A.; Harry Pavulaan, Ray E. Stanford, Michael Pogue, coordinators (2006). "Hoary Comma". Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: NBII Mountain Prairie Information Node. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
External links
- Hoary Comma, Butterflies of Canada
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