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  3. Grey Comma

Grey Comma

Polygonia progne

Summary 7

The Gray Comma or Grey Comma (Polygonia progne) is a species of Polygonia that occurs in North America.

General description 8

This is one of three commas with a dark, two-toned underside; distinguished from the Hoary Comma (P. gracilis) by the submarginal hindwing spots, which are clearly outlined and stand out against a solid dark border in progne, but are diffuse in gracilis. Greys lack the prominent patches of white wing fringes found in the Oreas Comma (P. oreas), which give the wing margin a more jagged appearance. The wing upperside of progne is also brighter orange with smaller black spots compared to oreas. There are no described subspecies, although some authors consider the Oreas Comma (P. oreas) as a subspecies of the Grey. Both forms, however, occur together in parts of Alberta and British Columbia without apparent interbreeding (Bird et al. 1995, Guppy & Shepard 2001). 

Distribution 9

This species is at home in the boreal forest, from the southern Yukon and the Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories southeast across Canada to Newfoundland, south to North Carolina and Kansas (Layberry et al. 1998).

Habitat 10

Primarily a forest species, found in openings in moist mixed-wood areas.

Migration 11

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

While not a regular seasonal migrant like some congeners, individuals can appear suddenly in unlikely places, even a hundred km or more out of the breeding range, such as since 2000 in Cape May and Cumberland Counties, New Jersey a state in which the last breeding populations (150 km to the north) died out by the 1950s. An isolated individual also appeared out of habitat in Connecticut in 2004.

Associations 12

Adult butterflies are important pollinators, and caterpillars damage teh foliage of the plants they eat. These butterflies are also likely eaten by other organisms.

Ecosystem Impact: pollinates

Behaviour 13

Adults feed on sap, fruit and mud, rarely flower nectar. Males perch for females (Scott, 1986).

Conservation status 14

Not of concern.

Threats 15

Degree of Threat: Low

Comments: This species declined or disappeared in much of the southeastern portion of the range in the mid 20th century. This was due in large part, or perhaps entirely, to deliberate efforts to eradicate the foodplant which is an alternate host for white pine rust fungus. However, there may also have been other factors such as parasitism of larvae, especially in the second brood, by Compsilura concinnata. Currently the Gray Comma is not believed to be threatened in most of its range despite its large decline in parts of the eastern US.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Jason Forbes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/65158990@N00/3898973806
  2. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Nymphalidae_O-P/polygonia_progne0049/medium.jpg
  3. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Nymphalidae_O-P/polygonia_progne0052/medium.jpg
  4. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Nymphalidae_O-P/polygonia_progne0055/medium.jpg
  5. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Nymphalidae_O-P/polygonia_progne6015/medium.jpg
  6. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Nymphalidae_O-P/polygonia_progne6020/medium.jpg
  7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonia_progne
  8. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31885827
  9. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31885826
  10. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31885828
  11. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28753257
  12. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31417053
  13. (c) Leslie Ries, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/20605148
  14. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31885824
  15. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28753251

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(c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

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