Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#765175
comma? - Polygonia satyrus

comma? - Polygonia satyrus
Burnaby, Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada
April 29, 2013

Images of this individual: tag all
comma? - Polygonia satyrus comma? - Polygonia satyrus

Moved
Two black spots on FW inner margin and distinct black spot at HW center indicate Satyr.
Moved from Commas, Question Mark.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

When I was a kid, there was only one "Comma"
among the North American butterflies; everything else was a Faun, a Satyr, a Questionmark, a Zephyr, a Progne, or a type of Anglewing (except you did hear "Gray Comma" in the East sometimes). However, lately "Comma" gets stuck to the end of all the other names (or it replaces "Anglewing"). The "true" Comma is still just the Comma though (Polygonia comma). [Or, if you're in English-speaking Europe, the name goes with P. c-album.]. Regardless of common name games though, this looks "off" for P. satyrus to me. That's why seeing the underside is important. It could be P. satyrus or P. oreas, (or perhaps even P. zephyrus, though I'm not sure if that one is found in that immediate area). They are all just variable enough, and similar enough on the upper side, to make being certain difficult.

 
What about this one?
http://bugguide.net/node/view/180695/bgimage

comma
I'm not sure what a true comma is since the name comma is given to 6 species of Polygonia. Thank goodness for Latin names.

To me it looks more like Polygonia satyrus with the large triangular 3rd spot on the hind wing but as David suggests a ventral shot would be nice to confirm.

Close relative, but the true "Comma" is not in British Columbia
Did you get a photo of the under side? There are a few similar species in the area, and seeing the underside would make it easy to tell which. Likely it is Polygoina oreas (Oreas Angelwing, Oreas Comma, Dark Comma).

 
Thanks for the help! I did no
Thanks for the help! I did not get a shot of the underside, unfortunately. I will next time I find one!

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.