Spring semester is in full swing so it has been difficult to find time to write of late. I shot this image of an Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) last summer as it was resting on a bench along the boardwalk that leads into a poor fen here in central NY.
This butterfly occurs throughout most of the eastern half of the United States and has two broods a year. The larvae will feed on a variety of host plants including False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis), American Elm (Ulmus americana) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). Adults feed on the sap of trees (Layberry et al. 1998).
Literature cited:
Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W., and Lafontaine, J.D. 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press.