View allAll Photos Tagged Polygonia+interrogationis
A pleasant end-of-summer surprise was finding this Question Mark nectaring on the Heptacodium….along with a couple of Monarchs and Hummingbirds.
Good morning. Just a single posting of a Question Mark Butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) I captured yesterday on top of a trimmed (or broken) branch limb at the pond across the street. I saw it by accident and it was the only shot I was able to get before it flew off.
Question Marks are part of an association of butterflies commonly known as "anglewings," which have sharply angled wings. When folded at rest, the undersides resemble dead leaves or pieces of bark. This group includes anglewings, tortoiseshells, commas, question marks, leafwings, snouts and daggerwings. Habitat includes deciduous woods, forest clearings & edges, and open woodlands.
Thanks for visiting...and I hope you have a great Sunday.
Lacey
ISO100, aperture f/5.6, exposure .008 seconds (1/125) focal length 200mm
...and best viewed large or on black.
Good morning and HBW to everyone. I know, might be a stretch with the bokeh thing to some of you, but I needed an excuse to post this shot of a Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) on Heath Aster (Aster pilosus). The butterfly swooped in while I was photographing some other butterflies, took a few quick sips of nectar, then was gone in a flash. The above was the one and only photo I got of it.
As for the two photos in the comment section they are of a different butterfly, albeit a fall - winter form also. Please see caption under first photo.
Thank you for stopping by...and I hope you have a truly nice day.
Lacey
ISO200, aperture f/11, exposure .006 seconds (1/180) focal length 300mm
Seen on a utility pole in Guntersville Dam area.
Gets its name from a small white "?" shape on its rather dark drab underside.
A Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) butterfly dining on Hemp Dogbane flowers at The Reservoir in Central Park.
This Question Mark butterfly has complete violet/lavender-tinged outer margins. By the end of summer, the wings get pretty ragged (if they survive that long). Question Marks are interesting because they are seen as often on mud, sap, vegetation or fruit as on flowers.
It's called a Question Mark because of a silvery marking on it's outer hindwings.
EXPLORE #452 April 29, 2012
Answer : When you are a butterfly in Houston, Texas.
At last! A butterfly photo for 2018.
The Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) found in Britain but also across Europe, North Africa, and Asia is quite similar to this Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) found across most of North America east of the Rockies. To add to the confusion, there are actually two other "Comma" species in parts of North America but not in south Texas.
Anyways, this is the winter form of a Question Mark, meaning that this individual emerged as an adult in the autumn / fall and then hibernated during colder weather until the arrival of spring warmth. Although it has lost its tails, the silvery back edges of the wings can clearly be seen. In fact either the scales are very worn or this is an aberrant form as I've yet to see another photo showing the species having as much 'silver' towards the base of the wings.
"The silver mark on the underside of the hindwing is broken into two parts, a curved line and a dot, creating a ?-shaped mark that gives the species its common name."
Just wish I could have gotten a shot with the wings open!
Explored: August 27, 2008
Polygonia interrogationis is a North American nymphalid butterfly called the Question Mark. They live in wooded areas and city parks, or generally in areas which feature trees and free spaces. The underside is light brown; the hindwings have a pearly-white question mark in the center, giving the butterfly its name.
Question mark (Polygonia interrogationis), photographed at Chadron State Park, about 9 miles south of Chadron, Nebraska on July 9, 2020.
Question Mark Caterpillar (Polygonia interrogationis). Little Falls Creek, Baltimore County, Maryland.
A lovely fall day! This little treasure was warming itself in dense praire grasses. Winds flowing through the grasses posed a focusing challenge.. but what a beautiful butterfly!
I thought I was late posting yesterday but I am now posting 30 minutes later than that today. Today was a beautiful sunny day, so after work I had to take advantage and go out shooting. It makes catching up on flickr tough though.
This is my first butterfly of the year to be caught with my camera lens. This species is called a Question Mark. The reason for this is that on its wings it has a curved white marking and a white spot underneath it. Which looks a bit like a Question Mark. :)
I hope everyone enjoys this image! :)
The scientific name for this species is: Polygonia interrogationis.
The question 'will I EVER see a Question Mark caterpillar?' was answered today with a resounding 'YES', as Chaney found three and I found a fourth one! They were in different stages and quite hyper! Ironically, as we started the day's hike, she showed me shots of her first Question Mark caterpillar encounter in Tennessee last week and I was thrilled for her...little did we dream we'd soon find four!
The Question Mark is a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalid. It ranges from southern Canada and all of the eastern United States except the Florida peninsular, west to the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, and south to southern Arizona and Mexico. They typically live in wooded areas, or generally any area that features a combination of trees and open spaces.
The adult butterfly has a wing span of 2.5 - 3 inches (6.4 - 7.5 cm), which is larger than it close cousin the Eastern Comma at 2 - 2.5 inches (5 - 6.4 cm). Its flight season is from May - September.
As seen above a silver - white mark on the underside of the hindwing is broken into two parts, a curved line and a dot, creating a question (?) shaped mark that gives this species its common name.
Forewing is typically hooked; upperside is red-orange with black spots. Upperside hindwing of summer form is mostly black with a short tail; winter form is mostly orange with a longer, violet-tipped tail. Underside of both wings is light brown in color.
This cryptic colored and uniquely shaped creature is one of the few butterflies that overwinter as adults. Hiding in cracks and crevices of wood, they remain inactive throughout the cold months. Their colors help keep them hidden and safe. This is also a butterfly that doesn’t prefer nectar, but will drink it occasionally. It's preferred food is tree sap, overripe fruit, and animal scat. The scat supplies proteins that the butterfly doesn't get from nectar. This butterfly can tolerate cooler temperatures than most other butterflies and as a result is usually one of the first to appear in Spring.
ISO800, aperture f/8, exposure .004 seconds (1/250) focal length 300mm
I love this shot because the butterfly blends in so well with the leaves on the forrest floor. I use the original as my desktop background.