| Family | Nymphalidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Nymphalinae |
| Genus | Polygonia |
| Species | egea |
| Authority | (Cramer, 1775) |
| English Name | Southern Comma |
| European Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | |
| Bern Convention | |
| CITES |
The Southern Comma is a species of dry grasslands and dry scrub. The major foodplant is Common Pellitory (Parietaria officinalis), a plant that often grows on old walls, so that these butterflies are often found near buildings. They can often be seen, wings widespread, basking in the sun on walls and rocks, or on the ground. The caterpillars probably also feed on Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), willows (Salix spp.), and elms (Ulmus spp.). The Southern Comma has two to three generations a year, and just as the ordinary Comma (P. c-album), hibernates as an adult butterfly. It can therefore be seen early in the spring.
Albania / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia (Irregular Vagrant) / France / France: Mainland / France: Corsica (Possibly Present) / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Greece: East Aegean Islands / Greece: Kirti (Crete) / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sicily / North Macedonia / Malta (Irregular Vagrant) / Montenegro / Romania (Regionally Extinct) / European Russia / Serbia (Irregular Vagrant) / Serbia: Serbia (Irregular Vagrant) / Serbia: Kosovo (Irregular Vagrant) / Slovenia / Switzerland (Irregular Vagrant) / European Türkiye /