Question Mark Butterfly – Polygonia interrogationis
Question Mark Butterfly– Polygonia interrogationis
Common Name: Question Mark Butterfly
Latin Name: Polygonia interrogationis
Appearance:
The question mark butterfly has unique wing shapes and is about the size of a small dog. Its brown and grey spots make it look like a dead leaf when its wings are closed. Its wings are bright orange with dark spots when they are open. A small silver or white mark on the bottom of the hindwing that looks like a question mark is one of the things that makes it easy to spot.
Host Plants:
The caterpillars of the question mark butterfly eat a wide range of plants, such as nettles (Urtica species) and hackberry trees (Celtis species) from the Urticaceae family.
Territory:
Question mark butterfly lives in North America, parts of the US, Canada, and Mexico. This species lives in many different areas and its range changes with the seasons.
Damages caused by Polygonia interrogationis:
As adults, question mark butterflies get their food from the juice of many different flowers and don’t hurt plants. However, their young, called caterpillars, can eat the leaves of the plants that they live on, especially nettles and hackberry trees. Individual caterpillars might not do much damage, but many can cause host plants to lose their leaves.
Life History and Habits:
- Egg Stage:The Question of the Woman Mark The eggs of butterflies are laid on the leaves of host plants. These eggs are round and usually have a light green color.
- Larval Stage:The worm starts eating leaves as soon as it hatches. Before it is fully grown, it goes through several instars or stages. On its body, the worm has sharp points, and it can be green or brown.
- Pupal Stage:When the caterpillar is fully grown, it sticks to a surface and turns into a chrysalis or pupa. This is where it changes into a butterfly.
- Adult Stage:When the adult butterfly leaves its cocoon, it is ready to lay eggs. Butterflies that are adults eat nectar and help spread pollen.