Comma Butterfly vs Northern Clouded Yellow

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Comma Butterfly Northern Clouded Yellow
Scientific Name Polygonia c-album Colias hecla
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Pieridae
Size 44-48 mm wingspan 38-50 mm wingspan
Habitat Orchards Tundra & Arctic
Diet Sap Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, North Africa, Asia Arctic Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Comma Butterfly

Orange butterfly with ragged wing edges and a small white comma-shaped mark on the underside. The irregular outline mimics a dead leaf.

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Did You Know?

Its range has expanded northward in Britain over recent decades, likely due to climate warming.

Northern Clouded Yellow

A bright orange-yellow butterfly with broad dark borders on the upperwings. The underside is greenish-yellow with a prominent silver discal spot. It is a strong, fast flier over tundra terrain.

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Did You Know?

This butterfly was first described from specimens collected in Greenland by early polar explorers.