Sent when ready in April or May and again in July or August. Rich, orange coloured woodland, hillside and garden butterfly with immediately recognisable, jagged outline. The flight is swift and deft and the adult may sometimes be mistaken for a fritillary at first sight. Equally distinctive is the silver, comma like mark on the underside of the hindwing, from which this species takes its name. Larvae resemble a bird dropping and take nettle and elm. A beautiful sight in early spring the comma has two generations and is fairly easy to breed from egg to adult on potted food.
Larval foodplants: nettle (urticae), elm (ulmus), sallow (salix), hop (humulus) redcurrant (ribes).
Rearing: flowerpot cages, sleeves, ventilated cages.
Photographs: 1st instar larvae x 200 magnification; 2nd instar larvae; 4th instar larvae; 5th instar larvae; 5th instar larvae hanging for pupation; pupae.
