• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Brushfooted Butterflies
  • Snouts
  • Heliconians and Fritillaries
  • True Brushfoots
  • Admirals and Relatives
  • Leafwings
  • Emperors
  • Satyrs
  • Monarchs
• True Brushfoots
  • Gorgone Checkerspot
  • Silvery Checkerspot
  • Harris’ Checkerspot
  • Pearl Crescent
  • Northern Crescent
  • Tawny Crescent
  • Baltimore Checkerspot
  • Question Mark
  • Eastern Comma
  • Satyr Comma
  • Green Comma
  • Gray Comma
  • Compton Tortoiseshell
  • California Tortoiseshell
  • Mourning Cloak
  • Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
  • American Lady
  • Painted Lady
  • Red Admiral
  • Common Buckeye

Satyr Comma

(Polygonia satyrus)

The Satyr Comma was not listed in Ebner’s “Butterflies of Wisconsin” in 1970. Possibly, because they look very much like the Eastern Comma they were simply overlooked, but have now been recorded from ten of the northern counties in the state and are probably more common than the records suggest. The photos here are of the only ones that I have seen. Th first individual was landing on my back, pants, and hat, making it difficult to take a photo with the camera mounted on the tripod. I took my hat off and threw it on the ground where the Satyr Comma had previously landed, in hopes of having it land there, but it only landed on my head. Eventually it landed right on the top of the lens of my camera and I was able to observe it from within inches but was unable to take a photo! The second individual I saw being harassed by a Northern Crescent on two occasions. The Northern Crescent attacked the Satyr Comma and the two butterflies whorled around for 5–10 seconds within a foot of the ground on both occasions.

Identifying characteristics: Above, this butterfly is orange with a variety of dark spots including one dark spot in the middle of the hindwing. The hindwing has a light margin, an obvious dark submarginal line, a lighter nearly continuous band inside of that dark area, and a third faint, discontinuous dark band inside of the light area. Notice that the second individual is somewhat darker the first individual. Below, it is similar to the Eastern Comma, but lighter overall, with a thicker comma that is barbed on one end.

Similar species: Above, the other comma species have black or violet margins on the hindwing with a distinct row of yellow spots. This row of spots is just a continuous light band in the Satyr Comma. The innermost dot on the forewing dot row has a very distinct double above it that is only present in the Green Comma in Wisconsin. Below, the Satyr Comma is somewhat lighter than the other commas, and its comma can be similar to the Eastern Commas. It is best to use the upper wings to distinguish this species.

Habitat: Trails through woodlands and woodland edges in only the far northern counties of the state.

Flight: One brood. This species hibernates, comes out of hibernation in late spring, mates and the new generation flies from late July through September before it hibernates until next spring.

Abundance: Uncommon in the northern counties of the state. This species like many of the other commas is often seen singly.

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