Polygonia satyrus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Polygonia satyrus, the satyr comma, is a North American butterfly of the nymphalid family. It is primarily found in western Canada, where it is locally common. It bears a resemblance to Polygonia comma, the eastern comma, with which it is frequently confused.
Polygonia satyrus was first described by William Henry Edwards in 1869 from specimens collected in Colorado. Several names that were historically treated as distinct taxa, including P. marsyas, P. chrysoptera, and P. hollandi, have subsequently been regarded as synonyms of P. satyrus. Some authors previously considered marsyas to represent a distinct Pacific Northwestern subspecies, but breeding experiments and distributional evidence suggested that it represents a dark form of P. satyrus rather than a separate taxon.
Morphological studies have suggested a close relationship between P. satyrus and the eastern comma (Polygonia comma). Similarities in genital morphology, larval biology, host plant use, and wing pattern have led some authors to regard P. satyrus as a western subspecies of P. comma.
Polygonia satyrus belongs to the tribe Nymphalini within the family Nymphalidae. Phylogenetic studies place the species... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Satyr Comma sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 58 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 64th most-seen of the 256 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Satyr Comma in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months. Those are among Calgary's wettest months, with about 80 mm of rain a month against 15 mm in January.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Satyr Comma sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Satyr Comma sightings, Calgary ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Edmonton (Canada, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Satyr Comma is recorded against all the insects logged in Calgary (58 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
