Polygonia faunus

Subspecies include:[https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Subspecies-of-Polygonia-faunus-and-distribution-map-Shown-are-representative-photographs_fig5_230586753 Subspecies of Polygonia faunus and distribution map]

• Polygonia faunus smythi [https://www.vararespecies.org/specie/Polygonia%20faunus%20smythi Atlas of Rare Butterflies]
• Polygonia faunus faunus
• Polygonia faunus articus [https://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/polygonia_faunus_arcticus.htm P. f. smythi - Butterflies of America]
• Polygonia faunus rusticus (brown - west),[https://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/polygonia_faunus_rusticus. P. f. rusticus - Butterflies of America]
• Polygonia faunus hylas (gray - Rockies) [https://butterfliesofamerica.com/polygonia_faunus_hylas.htm P. f. hylas – Butterflis of America]

Some authors split Polygonia faunus into the above-mentioned subspecies, on the basis of differences in the color of the underside and their distribution. However most authors consider them as regional variants.

This species can be found in the boreal North America, from central Alaska south to central California and northern New Mexico. It is also present across the Great Lakes area to New England, the Maritimes and in the southern Appalachians. The green comma mainly occurs in forests, mountain woodlands, near streams and in canyons.

The wingspan of Polygonia faunus can reach about 45–64 mm. These usually uncommon butterflies show extremely ragged wing edges. They are geographically rather variable. The upperside of their wings is reddish brown with wide dark borders. The hindwing border contains a row of yellow spots. The underside of the wings is grey-brown, but the outer half is lighter, with greenish lichen-simulating submarginal spots in the males. Moreover, the hindwings have a L or a C-shaped silver spot in middle.[https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Polygonia-faunus Butterflies and Moths of North America] In the females the wings are more uniform, dull gray below.[http://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly/Polygonia/faunus Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site]

This species is most similar to the eastern comma (P. comma), but it can usually be distinguished by the irregular wing margins and the submarginal row of green spots on the underside. It is also strongly associated with the comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) within the genus based on larval development analysis and synaptomorphies.{{Cite journal|last1=Nylin|first1=Sören|last2=Nyblom|first2=Klas|last3=Ronquist|first3=Fredrik|last4=Janz|first4=Niklas|last5=Belicek|first5=Joseph|last6=Källersjö|first6=Mari|date=2001-08-01|title=Phylogeny of Polygonia, Nymphalis and related butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): a total-evidence analysis|journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society|volume=132|issue=4|pages=441–468|doi=10.1006/zjls.2000.0268|issn=0024-4082|doi-access=free}}

However the North American populations of Polygonia species can be distinguished from those of Polygonia c-album in the fact that they occur only in cooler regions, with only one brood and without seasonal dimorphism, while the latter species occurs in some milder regions, with more generations and distinct seasonal forms.[https://bugguide.net/node/view/12875 Bug Guide]

Females lay eggs on the upper surface of the leaves of the host plants. The solitary larvae feed on a wide range of hosts, especially on upland willow (Salix humilis), Betula lenta, alder, Rhododendron occidentale, and Ribes species. Other recorded plants are Nettles (Urtica species), Hops (Humulus species), Elm (Ulmus species) and Azalea (Rhododendron species). These butterflies have one generation per year (univoltines) and fly from May to September depending on the location. Adults overwinter until the following Spring.

File: Polygonia faunus MHNT dos.jpg|Male, dorsal side - MHNT

File: Polygonia faunus MHNT ventre.jpg|Male, ventral side - MHNT

File: Green Comma, female, ventral.jpg|Female, Temagami, Ontario, Canada

File: Nymphalidae - Polygonia faunus.webm|P. faunus from Yellowstone. Video clip

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090717032940/http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1757 Butterflies and Moths of North-America]
• [http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_pages/butterflies/species/GreenComma_e.php Green comma], Butterflies of Canada
• Paul A. Johnsgard [https://books.google.com/books?id=gIbgCwAAQBAJ&dq=polygonia+in+yellowstone&pg=PT274 Yellowstone Wildlife: Ecology and Natural History of the Greater Yellowstone]

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Category:Nymphalini

Category:Butterflies of North America

Category:Butterflies described in 1862

Category:Taxa named by William Henry Edwards

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Lepidoptera of the United States

Category:Lepidoptera of Canada