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Looking like a tatty Small Tortoiseshell, the Comma is now a familiar sight throughout most of England and Wales and is one of the few species that is bucking the trend by considerably expanding its range. The butterfly gets its name from the only white marking on its underside, which resembles a comma. When resting with wings closed this butterfly has excellent camouflage, the jagged outline of the wings giving the appearance of a withered leaf, making the butterfly inconspicuous when resting on a tree trunk or when hibernating. This butterfly was once widespread over most of England and Wales, and parts of southern Scotland, but by the middle of the 1800s had suffered a severe decline that left it confined to the Welsh border counties, especially West Gloucestershire, East Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. It is thought that the decline may have been due to a reduction in Hop farming, a key larval foodplant at the time. Since the 1960s this butterfly has made a spectacular comeback, with a preference for Common Nettle as the larval foodplant, and it is now found throughout England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands and has recently reached Scotland. There have also been a few records from Ireland. Subspecies: Polygonia c-album c-album The nominate subspecies was first defined in Linnaeus (1758) as shown here (type locality: Sweden). The British population is represented by this subspecies.
Form: Polygonia c-album c-album f. hutchinsoni This form was first defined in Robson (1881). This form represents individuals that go on to produce a second brood, which differs from those individuals that overwinter as follows: 1. Overall appearance much paler. 2. The underside is especially paler, being yellow-brown with darker markings nearer the body, and with a few green spots and other marks at the wing margins.
The butterfly can be seen at any time of the year, occasionally awakening on warm winter days. The butterfly emerges from hibernation in March, giving rise to the next generation which appear at the end of June and start of July. The majority of the offspring have dark undersides and these go on to hibernate. However, the remainder of the offspring have quite light undersides and brighter uppersides, and are known as the form hutchinsoni. This form is named after Emma Hutchinson who discovered that this form goes on to breed and produce another generation that then overwinter. As a result, there is another peak emergence in late summer, at the end of August and start of September. The trigger for the development of this form is the changing day length as the larva develops. If day length is increasing (before midsummer's day) as the larva develops, then the majority of adults will be the hutchinsoni form that go on to produce another generation, whereas if day length is decreasing, then the majority of adults will be the regular dark form that enter hibernation. The assumption, therefore, is that a good spring will allow for an earlier emergence and more-rapid larval development, resulting in a high proportion of hutchinsoni adults which can then comfortably fit in another brood. Subspecies: Polygonia c-album c-album The chart(s) above have been correlated with the phenology plot below, taken from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The blue line gives average counts over the full data set from 1976 to date, and the red line gives the average for the last year. 
This is primarily a woodland butterfly, where it can be seen along woodland rides and country lanes. However, especially in late summer, the butterfly is frequently seen in gardens where it feeds in on nectar sources to build up its fat reserves before entering hibernation.
The primary larval foodplant is Common Nettle (Urtica dioica). Currants (various) (Ribes spp.), Elms (various) (Ulmus spp.), Hop (Humulus lupulus) and Willows (various) (Salix spp.) are also used.
Adults feed primarily on Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.). Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), Ivy (Hedera helix), Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.) and Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) are also used.
After emerging from hibernation, both sexes search out nectar sources, such as Sallow flowers or Blackthorn blossom. They also spend a good amount of time basking, favourite surfaces being tree trunks, wood piles, dead bracken and fence posts. The male butterfly sets up a territory, often on the sunny side of a woodland margin or at the junction of two woodland rides. Here he will sit on a favourite perch awaiting a passing female and will fly up to investigate any passing insect. The male will also make short flights - always returning to the same perch. Even when disturbed, the male will fly off for several metres or so before predictably returning to exactly the same leaf. When egg-laying the female makes short fluttering flights over the foodplant, stopping every few feet, landing on the foodplant and, if suitable, laying a single green egg. Those adults that hibernate take a good deal of nectar, building up essential fat reserves that will see them through the winter. They are often seen feeding from garden flowers or fruit, such as blackberries or fallen plums. They eventually search out woodland where they find a suitable location in which to hibernate such as a tree trunk, branch, hollow tree or log pile. Subspecies: Polygonia c-album c-album
Form: Polygonia c-album c-album f. hutchinsoni
Description to be completed. Click here to see a full list of aberrations for this species. Unclassified Aberrations
ab. neole (Oliver.Entom.1937.70.p.10.) The ground colour of a rather dark shade of mahogany, much darker than the type form, but not dusky or blackish.
ab. o-album (Tutt.Brit.Butts.1896.p.346.) = o-album Newnham.Entom.1917.50.p.230.The white C of the underside replaced by an O.
ab. obscura (Close.Int.Ent.Z.1916.9.p.115.) The upperside is darkened, with broad dark marginal bands on both wings without the yellow marginal spots.
ab. reichstettensis (Fettig.) = reichenstettensis Ruhl.Pal.Grossschmett.1893.p.373.On the upperside of the forewings only the two basal spots are normal. All the margins are broadly dusted black, especially on the inner margin from whence this black dusting reaches the centre of the discus in the form of a black triangular blotch. Hindwings even more heavily dusted with black so that only a small streak of normal ground colour remains at the base and on the fringes. Gaede in Seitz Macrolep.Suppl.1.p.344 says the correct name for this form is reichstettensis Fettig but gives no reference. This description is taken from that of Ruhl.
ab. suffusa (Frohawk.Vars.Brit.Butts.1938.p.103.pl.24.f.4.) On the upperside of the forewings the two upper black costal spots are united into one oblong blotch. In the centre of the margin there are two tooth-like wedges which reach and envelop the twin discal spots which therefore cannot be seen. Hindwings with the basal half black, leaving a broad marginal band of normal ground colour which is divided by well-blackened veins giving a radiated appearance. The tail, and a small area of the margin on either side of it, black. The basal black area is not so black as the triangular blotch which stretches from the costa almost to the anal angle. The colouring of the figure is peculiar, purplish-brown, but since it is the same specimen as that figured in Frohawk's Bri.Butts.pl.21 which is of normal ground colour, the colour must not be taken into any account.
Eggs are laid singly on the foodplant, toward the edge of a leaf upperside, each female laying up to 275 eggs. They are normally laid on plants at the margins of woods, in woodland glades and rides or next to a hedgerow. Eggs are green when first laid but eventually turn yellow and ultimately grey just before hatching. This stage lasts between 2 and 3 weeks, depending on temperature.
On emerging, the young larva moves to the underside of a leaf where it feeds. As it matures it feeds on the upperside of the leaf and is quite unmistakable, resembling a bird dropping. This stage lasts around 5 weeks, depending on temperature. Larvae of the first brood moult 4 while those of the second brood moult 3 times.
The pupa is suspended head down, attached by the cremaster, to either the foodplant, surrounding vegetation or some other suitable platform. The pupa is quite beautiful and the green and brown colouring augmented with a small number of subtle silver spots, together with a jagged outline, give a superb impression of a withered leaf. This stage lasts around 2 weeks.
No similar species found.
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.
The Comma is one of the few species that is thriving which is believed to be linked to global warming. Its range has been continually expanding and it has recently reached Scotland where it hasn't been seen since around 1870. As such, this is not a species of conservation concern.
From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
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![Comma - imago - Nr Siston Brook, Bristol - Unknown date [Mike Dimery]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/94bc15d01ae0758b36d48b6df4b2e62c.jpg "Comma - imago - Nr Siston Brook, Bristol - Unknown date [Mike Dimery]")
![Comma pair - Broadfield Pond, Crawley, Sussex 16-April-2013 [Damian Pinguey]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/4e1b03ebe88355d03d1861b833b6c201.jpg "Comma pair - Broadfield Pond, Crawley, Sussex 16-April-2013 [Damian Pinguey]")
![Comma - imago - Holkham, Norfolk - Unknown date [Adrian Riley]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/7248bc9523fb8f349962cccd2a0b5c6a.jpg "Comma - imago - Holkham, Norfolk - Unknown date [Adrian Riley]")
![Comma - imago - Monsal Dail - Jul-04 [Mark Nowak]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/6578e3430c812a584fd6d07a9298d4bb.jpg "Comma - imago - Monsal Dail - Jul-04 [Mark Nowak]")
![Comma - imago - Tewkesbury - 28-Jun-07 [David Whiteman]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/45f25f03ec422b0a78df12148cfb4b63.jpg "Comma - imago - Tewkesbury - 28-Jun-07 [David Whiteman]")
![Comma - aberration - Oaken Wood - 15-Jul-06 [Dave Wright]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/3ba386ea94ac6fe87b12c8ad83c0a3ad.jpg "Comma - aberration - Oaken Wood - 15-Jul-06 [Dave Wright]")
![Comma - aberration - Warton Crag, Silverdale - 12-Jul-06 (2) [Richard Thomas]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/794c4e8e938501510e69c7cc3b54cf5e.jpg "Comma - aberration - Warton Crag, Silverdale - 12-Jul-06 (2) [Richard Thomas]")
![Comma - aberration - Warton Crag, Silverdale - 12-Jul-06 [Richard Thomas]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/7aa4a6c94dd8c461eae6eca066b2646e.jpg "Comma - aberration - Warton Crag, Silverdale - 12-Jul-06 [Richard Thomas]")
![Comma - aberration - Ensleigh nr Bath - 18-Jul-06 [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/ef9107f4236d0e6f6320623c7eb8c159.jpg "Comma - aberration - Ensleigh nr Bath - 18-Jul-06 [Graham Smith]")
![Comma - larva - Thatcham - 10-Jun-06 (0247) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/43ff0a396dc77c3a06e7f626010a5630.jpg "Comma - larva - Thatcham - 10-Jun-06 (0247) [REARED]")
![Comma - larva - Bath - 17-Aug-05 [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/0c4815c588606db4808748c7a94dcdf5.jpg "Comma - larva - Bath - 17-Aug-05 [Graham Smith]")
![Comma - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date (2) [Ian Surman]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/02ac5912a34f2255edbd160ed4d2844d.jpg "Comma - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date (2) [Ian Surman]")
![Comma - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date [Ian Surman]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/974558fa1b9bb4a514611ea5c0513b7c.jpg "Comma - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date [Ian Surman]")
![Comma larva (with attendant parasitic wasp) - Shoreham 20.09.12 [Richard Roebuck]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/547f96a2d96d5d82c44b70adf3f39aa3.jpg "Comma larva (with attendant parasitic wasp) - Shoreham 20.09.12 [Richard Roebuck]")
![Comma - pupa - Thatcham - 09-Jun-06 (0233) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/f70a4d4ad76063692d09144a7f66e71e.jpg "Comma - pupa - Thatcham - 09-Jun-06 (0233) [REARED]")
![Comma - pupa - Thatcham - 15-Jun-06 (0301) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/39f3a132de50698f826d24e846ad9e7c.jpg "Comma - pupa - Thatcham - 15-Jun-06 (0301) [REARED]")
