First brood, 'hutchinsoni', Val d'Aran, July 2005. Note the clear 'comma' on the underside, after which the butterfly takes its common name.
First brood, 'hutchinsoni', Val d'Aran, July 2005
UK, April 2007
UK, April 2007
Second brood.
Var. 'semiobscura', Suffolk, about 1980
Var. 'semiobscura', Suffolk, about 1980
The comma is one of the first butterflies to emerge in the spring, spending the winter as an adult. It mates, lays eggs and then emerges again in two waves in the summer. The first wave, 'hutchisoni', come from caterpillars that have raced through their life-cycle and the adults are distinctly lighter in colour, especially on the underside (which is also more variegated) than the so-called 'normal' form. Other individuals emerge later and this brood joins forces with the offspring of the earier generation to form the wintering population.
The only butterfly with which the comma might be confused is the southern comma - a species I have not seen yet. This is generally paler in colour and the inner margin of the forewing is noticeably less sinuous - a very useful diagnostic feature for those lucky enough to see one.