Polygonia c-album
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Polygonia c-album, or the comma, is a food generalist (polyphagous) butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. The angular notches on the edges of the forewings are characteristic of the genus Polygonia, which is why species in the genus are commonly referred to as anglewing butterflies. Comma butterflies can be identified by their prominent orange and dark brown/black dorsal wings.
Both the larval and adult stages exhibit protective camouflage, mimicking bird droppings and fallen leaves respectively, which reduces predation. The pupae are also cryptic, resembling shriveled leaves. During the later stage of development, the larvae also develop strong spines along their backs. The species is commonly found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and contains several subspecies. Although the species is not migratory, the butterflies are strong fliers, resulting in an open population structure with high gene flow and increased genetic variation.
The outer margins of the wings are strongly and irregularly dentate, excavated and angulated. The upper side of the wings has a bright orange color, decorated with brown marks and light spots on the edge. The reverse is... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 5 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 6 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 9 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 10 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 11 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 12 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 13 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 14 | Hohe Tauern National Park | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 15 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 17 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 18 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 19 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 20 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 21 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 22 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Milan | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 7 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 8 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 9 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Comma sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 255th most-seen of the 818 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.
March–April and June–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Comma in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May and October–February, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European 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.
22nd of 22
Of the 22 parks where we can rate European Comma sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 22nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Aigüestortes National Park (Spain, about 40%), Białowieża National Park (Poland, about 30%) and Mercantour National Park (France, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the European Comma that you can see in Wadden Sea National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Red Admiral (about 30%), Painted Lady (about 20%) and European Peacock Butterfly (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Comma is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (23 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.
