Butterfly of month - Comma

Often nectaring on Bramble, Hemp-agrimony and Buddleia, the Comma can easily be identified, as it is the only British butterfly with jagged wing edges.

As its name implies, the Comma has a white comma on the undersides of each of its brown hind wings, which are easily seen when it is resting with wings closed (see right); their uppersides are a mixture of orange and brown. Male Commas tend to be slightly darker than the females. Swift but short fliers they are inclined to rest for longish periods.

The earliest caterpillars to develop in the spring produce a more golden form of both sexes called hutchinsoni. These butterflies may have less jagged wings and make up about 40% of the generation that fly from late June until August.

There are two generations of Comma butterflies each year. Those that emerge from their chrysalides in September will hibernate from October, through the winter, and fly again on warm sunny days in the spring, nectaring on Sallow catkins. The other generation will result from eggs that they lay on Common Nettle leaves during April. Brown caterpillars emerge after a few weeks then, after pupation in early June, the next generation emerge in late June and fly until August.

Those butterflies lay their eggs in July and, after two or three weeks, more caterpillars emerge. They pupate in August and the resultant butterflies are those that you will see during September and, perhaps, even later if the weather is hot and sunny in early autumn. They tend to hibernate in drier parts of woodlands in hollow trees or settle low down on elevated tree roots in places where drifts of dead leaves will later accumulate to aid their remarkable camouflage.

A century ago, the Comma appeared to be on the verge of extinction, being recorded only in the Welsh border counties. Now it is found throughout Southern England, so do keep a look out for it when walking in the Blackwater Valley.

Peter Martin

Peter Martin is the author of Blackwater Valley Butterflies a useful A5-sized full-colour booklet giving details about the 32 different butterfly species that you are likely to come across in the Valley.                                                          More details   >>>

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