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question marks or commas? (1 Viewer)

A

Al Kat

Well-known member
Can anyone tell me by these picture if I have Question Marks or Commas
or both
The pictures were taken Oct 5 2006 in Soutern Ontario (Rondeau Park)

1 ???
2 ??
3 A freind though he saw this was a question mark when wings closed

Thanks for any help

Al Kat
 

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Al Kat said:
Can anyone tell me by these picture if I have Question Marks or Commas
or both
The pictures were taken Oct 5 2006 in Soutern Ontario (Rondeau Park)

1 ???
2 ??
3 A freind though he saw this was a question mark when wings closed

Thanks for any help

Al Kat
Click to expand...

Hello Al,

These all look like Comma's to me, I've never heard of a butterfly called The Question Mark. However, that's not to say there isn't a butterfly with that name in North America. I'm not very familiar with US/Canadian species.

The Comma derived its common name from the 'C' shaped mark on the underside of the wing. Given the size of the North American Continent it's possible there are several sub-species of Comma's, some of which may have been given different names.

Harry
 
1) is an Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
2) and 3) are Question Marks (Polygonia interrogationis)
The most important difference is the spot near its wing tip: single in the commas, double in the Question Mark.
 

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Xenospiza said:
1) is an Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
2) and 3) are Question Marks (Polygonia interrogationis)
The most important difference is the spot near its wing tip: single in the commas, double in the Question Mark.
Click to expand...


Thank you for your help I was hoping for a method to tell the butterflies apart when the wings were open, they did not want to close those wings so I could see the difference.I am very new to butterfly identification and it was nice to see both species I looked at number 3 butterfly and it seems too only have the one spot at the wing tip so that would be a Comma then?? Maybe I do not have things straight yet Thanks again
 
Last edited:
Al Kat said:
Thank you for your help I was hoping for a method to tell the butterflies apart when the wings were open, they did not want to close those wings so I could see the difference.I am very new to butterfly identification and it was nice to see both species I looked at number 3 butterfly and it seems too only have the one spot at the wing tip so that would be a Comma then?? Maybe I do not have things straight yet Thanks again
Click to expand...
Yes you're right... I cannot count to two obviously!
 
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