The comma is a medium-sized orange and brown butterfly. It gets its name from the comma-shaped white spots on the underneath of its wings. Polygonia c-album, the comma, is a food generalist butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. The angular notches on the edges of the forewings are characteristics of the genus Polygonia, which is why species in the genus are commonly referred to anglewing butterflies. The lifespan of the comma butterfly varies. The light hutchinsoni variant has a short lifespan of just a few months, while the dark late summer form can go on to hibernate until the following March, making their lifespan about 8 months. They overwinter as hibernating adults to get the entire life cycle done every summer. / SANDRA JAMES
