Polygonia comma Polygonia comma Polygonia comma, the eastern comma, is a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Nymphalinae. This butterfly is seasonally variable. The upperside of the summer form's hindwings are all black, whereas the winter forms hindwings are reddish orange. The underside of both forms is striped with dark and light brown. There is a silvery comma mark in the middle of the hindwing in both forms. Its wingspan is . The eastern comma may be spotted in woods near rivers, ponds, marshes, swamps, and other water sources. This butterfly seldom visits flowers, but rather feeds on sap, rotting
Swallowtail butterfly species inhabit altitudes ranging from sea level to high mountains, as in the case of most species of "Parnassius". The majority of swallowtail species and the greatest diversity are found in the tropics and subtropical regions between 20°N and 20°S, particularly Southeast Asia, and between 20°N and 40°N in East Asia. Only 12 species are found in Europe and only one species, "Papilio machaon" is found in the British Isles. North America has 40 species, including several tropical species and "Parnassius". The northernmost swallowtail is the Siberian Apollo ("Parnassius arcticus"), found in the Arctic Circle in northeastern Yakutia, at altitudes