Somewhere in this photo is a Polygonia comma butterfly - an Eastern Comma. You might be thinking 'but it's too cold out for butterflies, there's snow on the ground', and generally you'd be right but the Eastern Comma is one of the unique species that can hibernate through winter and wake up to feed on the earliest of the spring wildflowers! "Overwintered adults fly and lay eggs in the spring until the end of April. The summer form emerges and flies from May-September, laying eggs that develop into the winter form. These adults appear in September or October and soon seek shelter in which to overwinter." Somewhere in this photo there is a butterfly. Ta-da! An Eastern Comma using its beautiful patterning to blend in perfectly with the fall leaves. Here it is back in August when it was enjoying a warm sunny morning on the rocks.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AboutSince 2015 we have been exploring and sharing all the amazing things we’ve found in nature. AuthorEmily is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist who is most often found out in the woods. Archives
April 2022
|