About Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson, 1867)
The hoary comma, scientifically named Polygonia gracilis, is a species of butterfly that is common in boreal North America. Its range extends from Alaska across southern Canada to New England and the Maritime Provinces, and stretches south to New Mexico between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. This butterfly’s wings have a distinctive ragged edge. Adult hoory commas feed on tree sap, nectar from sweet everlasting (Gnaphalium), and nectar from other flowers. Caterpillars of this species feed on the leaves of multiple shrubs, including currant (Ribes), western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), and mock azalea (Rhododendron menziesii). This species overwinters in the adult stage while in diapause; adults mate and lay eggs in the spring, and new butterflies emerge from their chrysalids in midsummer.
