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Eastern Comma

Polygonia comma[3]

The eastern comma is an orange-and-black butterfly with ragged wing edges and a small silvery comma under each hindwing; it looks like a dead leaf at rest and may fly on warm winter days.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Nymphalidae
US records
36 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-16
Eastern comma butterfly with ragged orange-and-black wings
Eastern comma butterfly with ragged orange-and-black wings. (c) Shirley Zundell, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • Wingspan is about 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 inches, with ragged edges and a short hindwing tail.[1][2]
  • The underside shows a silver comma mark with blunt ends and no extra dot.[1][2]
  • Caterpillars are white to greenish-brown or black with rows of branching spines.[1][2]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Question markLarger, with an extra dot beside the comma mark and a dark line over the three black forewing spots.[1][2]
Gray commaHeavily streaked underneath with an L-shaped comma mark.[2]

Where it lives

Most of the eastern United States, south to north-central Florida and the northern Gulf states and west to eastern Wyoming and Colorado.[1][2]

US map: public records from 36 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

There are two generations a year; the fall brood overwinters as adults, which is why commas may fly on warm, sunny winter days.[1][2]

Females lay eggs singly or stacked up to nine high under host leaves.[1][2]

Caterpillars hide by day in silk-tied leaves and feed at night.[1][2]

Adults feed on tree sap and fermenting fruit, rarely on flowers, and also visit mud, carrion and droppings.[1][2]

Damage and signs

  • Caterpillars feed on nettles, hops and elms.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Prevention

No control is needed.[2]

Common questions

What butterfly flies in winter?
Eastern commas overwinter as adults and may fly on warm, sunny winter days.[2]
Why is it called a comma?
For the small silvery comma-shaped mark under the hindwing.[1][2]
What is a hop merchant?
Another name for the eastern comma, whose caterpillars eat hops.[1][2]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS, Featured Creatures), “Eastern Comma, Hop Merchant, Comma Anglewing, Polygonia comma (EENY-455).” ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN817 (accessed 2026-10-16)
  2. Missouri Department of Conservation, “Eastern Comma (Field Guide).” mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/eastern-comma (accessed 2026-10-16)
  3. iNaturalist, “Polygonia comma taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/54064 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-16. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.