2019 March 25

 

  Jeremy Tatum writes: 

 

  Recent photographs of difficult commas (Ron Flower March 20, Mark Wynja March 23) have generated some interesting comments.  Cris  Guppy  identifies Ron’s Goldstream Park comma as a female Satyr Comma. Although I originally labelled it as “Comma sp.”, I believe the Satyr is more likely at Goldstream Park than Green.

  The Oreas is more difficult, but Cris Guppy, Mark Wynja and Mike Yip all go for Oreas (Cris cautiously “most likely Oreas”), and that is how I have labelled it.  The underside of Oreas is characteristically dark, though both Mark and Cris point out that the underside photo is backlit, which makes it difficult to judge.  However, Mark, of course, saw the butterfly in the flesh, so to speak, and was able to see that the underside was dark.

  As for the “comma”, the distinct V shape shows unambiguously that Mark’s butterfly is certainly not Satyr or Green – but does the V-shaped  “comma” mark distinguish between Oreas and “Zephyr”?   Opinions differ on this.  Cris cautions that he doesn’t find the comma mark to be very useful, because it is very variable. Mike says there are distinct differences in the comma shape in the two species.  In the Oreas the comma is more like a V or chevron with pointed tips and pointed base.  In the “Zephyr” the comma has a blunt end and is more of a curve in the middle.  Mark’s comma, he writes, is good for an Oreas.

  For myself, I think I need a good deal more experience before I become confident with these species.  In the past I have seen comma butterflies with a very distinct V, and I have called them (not necessarily correctly!) “Zephyr”.   Often it starts out to be very difficult to distinguish between similar species, but after a bit of experience it becomes easy and one can recognize them at a glance by their “jizz” – that indefinable je ne sais quoi characteristic of a species.  I’m not there yet!

  In the meantime, Mark sends photographs (below) of an Oreas taken in May 2018 at the same place as this year’s.   Contributors are encouraged to continue to send good photos of all commas.

Oreas Comma Polygonia oreas (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Mark Wynja

 

Oreas Comma Polygonia oreas (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

 Mark Wynja