64
I found one more butterfly to add to my list for the year. This little beauty is an Eastern Comma:
There is another butterfly that is very similar to this one and it’s also named after punctuation—the Question Mark. The difference shows up in some tiny markings on the underside of the wings. Thankfully this butterfly folded its wings for me a couple of times so I could be sure.
Eastern Commas are found in the Central and Eastern United States and Canada. They like open woodlands, wood edges and wetlands. Their larvae feed on plants in the nettle family plus elms and hops.
The lifespan of an Eastern Comma is about 4 weeks, and they are often seen in fall. I spotted this one sunning itself just after dawn.