| Compton Tortoiseshell | |
|---|---|
| N. v. j-album, Temagami, Ontario | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Nymphalis |
| Species: | N. vaualbum |
| Binomial name | |
| Nymphalis vaualbum ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775))[1] |
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| Subspecies | |
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N. v. vaualbum Esper, 1781 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum), also known as the False Comma, is a species in the Nymphalidae family.
Contents |
The underside of both the male and females wings are dark mottled brown, much like tree bark. While the outside is "dull" and bark-like, the inside is orange-brown with dark tips. There is a single white dot or comma on the underside of each wing of both males and females, hence the name False Comma.
It is seen in deciduous and coniferous forest in a wide range throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The nominate subspecies (N. v. vaualbum) is found throughout central Asia. The subspecies, N. v. j-album's, range consists of Alaska and Canada south into Montana and Wyoming. They are seen east to New England and eastern Canada and south to North Carolina and Missouri. They rarely migrate to Newfoundland and Labrador, Nebraska, and Florida. You can also find this species in temperate Eurasia.
The adult female will lay her eggs in a clump on the host plant. Once the eggs hatch the caterpillars will feed together until they pupate. There is one brood thast flies from July to November.