Polygonia satyrus
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Satyr Comma sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 112 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Satyr Comma in Elk Island National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Satyr Comma sightings, Elk Island National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Glacier National Park (United States, about 20%) and Grand Teton National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Polygonia
The closest relatives of the Satyr Comma that you can see in Elk Island National Park (genus Polygonia, Commas) are Gray Comma (about 20%), Polygonia vaualbum (about 10%) and Green Comma (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Satyr Comma is recorded against all the insects logged in Elk Island National Park (25 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
