Nymphalidae 1, 2

Polygonia c-album - common name -the comma

On the right the comma, the name comes from the white comma mark on the underside of its rear wing. The adult wingspan is 4.4 - 4.8 cm, and the males and females are the same except that the females usually have duller undersides to their wings. The adults fly in June/July and there is a second generation flying in August which hibernate in the autumn. When these emerge in the late spring they mate. The irregular wing outline and the pattern of the undersides make the adult resemble a dead leaf. It is widespread throughout Europe, but confined to the southern half of the UK. The adult lives mainly in meadows but visits gardens.

Eggs are laid singly or in small groups on the upper surface of the leaves of the food plant in May and again in July/August.

The eggs hatch after 2 - 3 weeks and the caterpillars feed singly in small webs for approximately 6 weeks. The caterpillar is black, spiny, with orange bands and a large white patch down the rear half of its back. This white patch makes it look rather like a bird dropping, so serves as camouflage. The larval food plants include hop and nettle. The caterpillars can reach a length of 3.5 cm. Then they pupate suspended from the food plant. Adults emerge 2 - 3 weeks later.

Inachis io, the peacock

The peacock, below and right, is in the Nymphalidae family. The olive-green eggs are laid on the underside of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), the food plant, in May, and hatch about two weeks later.

The caterpillars (see below) live together in a communal web until their final moult. They are black with small white dots and have long black spines on their back and sides. The final body length can reach 4.2 cm. It takes about one month from egg hatch to final moult. They pupate separately suspended from plant stems.