Eastern Comma

Also known as Hop Merchant

Eastern Comma butterflies spend winter as tucked-away adults inside tree hollows or bark crevices, emerging on the earliest warm days of spring before wildflowers even bloom. They display two distinct seasonal forms: a dark summer form with largely black hindwings and a bright orange winter form featuring silvery comma marks on the underside. Caterpillars feed on nettles and hops, often concealing themselves during the day inside protective leaf tents tied with silk.