Comma Butterfly Polygonia c-album

Comma butterfly
Comma butterfly
The Comma butterfly is instantly recognisable by its "ragged" wing outline.
Comma butterfly Freshly-emerged, early season Comma (yellow spots in orange border).
Comma butterfly April colouring (form hutchinsoni).
Comma butterfly
Comma butterfly July
Comma butterfly
Late season Comma (orange background in black border), July-August.
Comma butterfly side
Comma butterfly under-wing
Comma butterfly under-wing
The side view shows the white "comma" mark that gives the butterfly its name.
Comma butterfly side
Comma butterfly under-wing
Comma butterfly under-wing
The new generation that will complete its life cycle in the same year has a lighter underside wing and those that are destined to hibernate through the winter and fly the following year are darker; both well-camouflaged as a dead leaf. Males have a more variegated underside and females a plainer one.
Comma butterfly mid season
Comma butterfly
Comma butterfly
The Comma is native to much of Eurasia from Western Europe to China in the east and to North Africa.
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Southern Comma Butterfly Polygonia egea

Southern Comma butterfly The Southern Comma prevalent in Mediterranean Europe is less-patterned with fewer spots and less-angular wings. The white mark on the underside is more like a Y than a comma.