Eastern Comma

The Eastern Comma is a medium-sized orange butterfly with sharply angled wing edges. The silvery ‘comma’ on the back of the hindwings gives this species its name. Three dots in a line on the upper surface of the forewings is distinctive of this species.

Eastern Commas overwinter as butterflies and are active in the Hocking Hills on warm days in late winter. They tend to be most active during the shoulder seasons - early spring and late summer through autumn.

They frequent woodlots and stream sides where the caterpillars feed on the leaves of elm trees and nettles.