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Eastern Comma - Hodges#4421 (Polygonia comma)
Photo#1262783
Copyright © 2016
darrelljneufeld
Comma species -
Polygonia comma
Grand Beach, Manitoba, Canada
July 1, 2016
Puddling in a forested area.
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Contributed by
darrelljneufeld
on 23 July, 2016 - 9:29am
Last updated 9 December, 2016 - 12:36pm
Moved
Moved from
Commas, Question Mark
.
…
Teá Montagna
, 9 December, 2016 - 12:36pm
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Polygonia comma
This is P. comma, the slight blur of the extra spot is absolutely not diagnostic. Everything else about the specimen screams comma
…
Teá Montagna
, 9 December, 2016 - 12:35pm
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Moved
Moved from
Question Mark
.
…
Cliff Ivy
, 9 December, 2016 - 11:22am
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Should be an Eastern Comma
The wing shape isn't right for a Question Mark
…
Alex Harman
, 7 December, 2016 - 10:17pm
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Spot pattern indicates Question Mark
I can't tell by wing shape but when I enlarge the image there is a small fourth mark/ slash on the forewing adjacent to the three large horizontal spots which occurs with Question Mark.
…
Cliff Ivy
, 8 December, 2016 - 6:55am
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The BA examples are easily ID by the ventral comma mark.
and the faint fourth slash is apparently a regional subspecies variation.
The specimen in question has characteristic summer form of Question Mark with color, shape, tail length, and indention depth between tail tips of the hindwing.
…
Cliff Ivy
, 8 December, 2016 - 11:33am
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So would you say these are misidentified?
They both have the forewing slash, yet literally every other characteristic (wing shape, the "comma" marking, etc.) indicates that they are comma.
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/polygonia_comma_specimens2.htm
…
Alex Harman
, 8 December, 2016 - 9:28am
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I fully agree with Alex. The
I fully agree with Alex. The hind wing shape is clearly a comma, and is the underside pattern. Extent and size of markings in anglewings is highly variable and not consistent. Phyciodes species (crescents) are far worse in that regard. I have seen hundreds of questions marks, but never one that looked like this.
…
Mathew L. Brust
, 8 December, 2016 - 9:31pm
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Polygonia comma - hind wing t
Polygonia comma - hind wing tails very short, trim on hind wing very thin and whitish rather than thick and pinkish to purplish, trim ccompletely covering less than a quarter the length of the tail, as opposed to about half the length, pair of black spots on hind wing completely separate from blackish region on hindwing as opposed to both being partially enveloped in it, and I could go on.
…
Mathew L. Brust
, 8 December, 2016 - 11:14pm
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All the characteristics mentioned also occur in
P. interrogationis
http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/t/Polygonia_a.htm
. Variation between these species makes ID difficult and usually based on FW extra slash mark or ventral sign mark.
…
Cliff Ivy
, 9 December, 2016 - 11:08am
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I've seen hundreds too and the summer form looks like this
specimen with a flat straight border between the outer tip and tail of the hindwing. Looking at summer form Question Mark images in BugGuide
http://bugguide.net/node/view/487/bgimage
supports this observation. Although referenced, I do not see a ventral image which would be helpful.
…
Cliff Ivy
, 8 December, 2016 - 10:21pm
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Moved
Moved from
ID Request
.
…
Cliff Ivy
, 23 July, 2016 - 11:13am
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looks like Question mark
.
…
Larry de March
, 23 July, 2016 - 10:09am
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