Polygonia interrogationis

Geographic Range

Polygonia interrogationis , commonly known as question mark butterflies , are found in the eastern United States and Canada. The range stretches from southern Canada south to Florida. This range stretches west to Arizona, Wyoming, and Colorado. They also occur in Mexico.

• Biogeographic Regions
• nearctic nearctic
  • native native

Habitat

Question mark butterflies prefer areas with trees and some open space, such as riparian woodlands, city parks, suburbs, and agricultural areas. Question marks are often found in moist areas. This species is semi-migratory; some individuals travel south for the winter.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• forest forest
• mountains mountains

• Other Habitat Features
• urban urban
• suburban suburban
• agricultural agricultural
• riparian riparian

Physical Description

Question mark butterflies have a wingspan of about 5.2-6.4 cm. Their wings are bright orange towards the top and deep black at the bottoms. The orange portion has irregularly shaped black-brown spots scattered across it. The underside of their wings is made of a brown, tan, near-black, and partially iridescent camouflage. The edges of the wings have a ragged, irregular appearance.

The forewing of question mark butterflies has a hook. The upper side of their wings is reddish-orange in color with black spots. The underside of the forewing is a tannish-light brown. The underside of the hindwing has an iridescent white question mark in the middle. The upper side hindwing of summer type has a short tail and is mostly black. The upper side hindwing of the winter type is orange in color and a longer tail with a violet tip. Both sexes are similar.

• Other Physical Features
• ectothermic ectothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes alike

Development

Caterpillars emerge from eggs. They grow and develop, going through various stages of growth. Larvae go through metamorphosis to become adults. Some question marks go through diapause during the winter.

• Development - Life Cycle
• metamorphosis metamorphosis
• diapause diapause

Reproduction

Males find mates by waiting on leaves or trees in the afternoon. They chase other insects and even birds in their search for a female. They utilize seasonal breeding. Female question mark butterflies lay eggs singly or stacked. They prefer to lay eggs under the leaves of plants that are usually not the hosts.

• Key Reproductive Features
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
  • internal internal
• oviparous oviparous

Question mark butterflies do not utilize parental investment.

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement

Lifespan/Longevity

Question marks live for only a few months. There are typically two generations per year.

Behavior

Caterpillars find a host plant shortly after hatching. They eat the leaves of the host plant and live by themselves. Larvae prefer to stay near their host plants.

Two generations of question mark butterflies occur each year. One of these generations happens during the summer, the "umbrosa" form, which can be found from late June until August. The fall generation, the "fabricii", appears from late August until October. Some individual question marks of the fall type may overwinter as adults. Most, however, migrate south for the winter and return in spring. Overwintered adult question mark butterflies lay eggs in the spring. The summer type lays eggs that develop into the fall type. The adults of the fall type show up in late August. These are the question marks that overwinter or migrate south.

Question marks are active during the day. Larvae crawl to move around and adults fly.

• Key Behaviors
• arboreal arboreal
• terricolous
• flies
• diurnal diurnal
• motile motile
• hibernation hibernation
• aestivation
• solitary solitary

Communication and Perception

Question mark butterflies communicate through chemical methods. They perceive their environment through visual, chemical, and tactile methods. They are able to see UV light.

• Communication Channels
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• pheromones pheromones

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• ultraviolet
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

When available, question mark butterflies feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, dung, and carrion. Only when these foods are unavailable do question mark butterflies visit flowers such as common milkweed , aster , and sweet pepperbush . Larvae eat woody and non-woody plants.

• Animal Foods
• carrion carrion

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• fruit
• nectar
• sap or other plant fluids

• Other Foods
• dung

Predation

Question marks are cryptid. The undersides of their wings are camouflaged and resemble dead leaves. This allows them to hide from predators.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• cryptic cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

Question mark butterflies are significant pollinators. While traveling from one host plant to the next, they carry and exchange pollen. Larvae are parasitized by six species of tachinid fly and at least five species of hymenoptera .

• Ecosystem Impact
• pollinates

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Like other butterflies. question marks are pollinators of a variety of plants.

• Positive Impacts
• pollinates crops

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Larvae of question marks can damage crops.

• Negative Impacts
• crop pest

Conservation Status

Questionmark butterflies are not currently undergoing conservation efforts.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Deena Hauze (author), Animal Diversity Web Staff.

References

Hall, D. 2021. "common name: question mark scientific name: Polygonia interrogationis (Fabricius) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae)" (On-line). Featured Creatures Entomology & Nematology. Accessed March 31, 2021 at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/bfly2/question_mark.htm .

Peterson, A. 1970. Eggs from Miscellaneous Species of Rhopalocera-Lepidoptera. The Florida Entomologist , 53(2): 65-67.

Petr, D., K. Stewart. 2004. Comparative Morphology of Sensilla Styloconica on the Proboscis of North American Nymphalidae and Other Selected Taxa (Lepidoptera): Systematic and Ecological Considerations. Transactions of the American Entomological Society (1890-) , 130(4): pp. 293-409. Accessed March 11, 2021 at https://www.jstor.org/stable/25078861 .

Wunderlin, R., B. Hansen, A. Franck, F. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants . Tampa, Florida.: University of South Florida. Accessed March 11, 2021 at http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ .

United States Department of Agriculture. A Host-Parasite Catalog of North American Tachinidae (Diptera). Miscellaneous Publication 1319. Washington D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture. 1978.

Montana Natural Heritage Program. 2021. "Question Mark — Polygonia interrogationis." (On-line). Montana Field Guide. Accessed March 10, 2021 at http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IILEPK5010 .