Eastern comma
Polygonia comma
Butterfly
Common anglewing butterfly of eastern North America whose ragged-edged wings and silvery comma-shaped hindwing mark make it cryptic against bark when perched. Larvae feed on plants in the hemp and elm families and on nettles — most often hops (Humulus lupulus) and nettle (Urtica, Boehmeria, Laportea), with American elm (Ulmus), basswood (Tilia), and occasionally hackberry (Celtis) also recorded. Adults rarely visit flowers, instead feeding on tree sap, rotting fruit, and dung; winter-form adults hibernate as adults and are among the first butterflies seen on warm late-winter days. The hops association earned it the old common name 'hop merchant.'
Conservation
Common and widespread; NatureServe global status Secure (G5). Not assessed by the IUCN Red List and not on the Xerces Society Red List. No formal conservation concern — supporting it is about garden habitat value rather than recovery.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 3
American elm is a documented larval host for the eastern comma butterfly; its caterpillars feed on the foliage, making even a single elm a real breeding resource for the species across the eastern range.
Range
Eastern and central North America east of the Rocky Mountains, from southern Canada south to central Texas, the Gulf Coast, and northern Florida.