comma

Polygonum c-album

• Orange brown with darker markings and an unusual wing shape
  
  
• It has a white ‘comma’ on the underwing

Why not download our comma fact sheet?

comma butterfly fact sheet

Where found

Woodland clearings and gardens, where its larvae feed on nettle, willow, redcurrant, hazel and elm. England and Wales.

When to look for

• Hibernated individuals from late March/early April

Fabulous comma butterfly facts

• Gets its name from the white marking on its underwing which resembles a comma
  
  
• When resting with wings closed, their jagged outline makes it look like a withered leaf, inconspicuous against wood or foliage
  
  
• Its preferred larval food plant is stinging nettles, but will also lay its eggs on species of willow, currant, elm and hops
  
  
• It nectars on wild flowers such as thistles and knapweed, and can be seen in autumn feeding on ripe blackberries and fallen fruit such as plums
  
  
• The comma caterpillar is brown with a large white mark on its rear end, making it look like a bird dropping and so not interesting to predators