The commas are some of the most cooperative and "friendly" butterflies I've encountered. They will buzz you and perch on you if you hold still in the sunshine where they are patrolling. If they land on your bare skin, don't be startled if they stick you with their proboscis - it's like being poked gently with a tiny, sharp twig.

Commas are part of an association of butterflies commonly known as "anglewings," which have sharply angled wings. When folded at rest, the undersides resemble dead leaves or pieces of bark. This group includes anglewings, tortoiseshells, commas, question marks, leafwings, snouts and daggerwings.

Commas have always been, to me, the "friendliest" of the butterflies. They will frequently buzz you, and often alight on your clothing if you are standing in the sun in their favorite forest clearing. Commas seem quite social, and will dance with each other, rapidly twisting and turning about each other, spiraling up into and above the forest canopy, and out of sight - but will return to the current sunny perch in a matter of a minute or so. My Audubon guide says they are wary and retreat to the woods to hide "if challenged." I don't exactly know how one goes about challenging a butterfly, but I'm finding the Audubon guide to be somewhat goofy in its descriptions of butterfly behavior. Its almost as if the authors never actually observed the butterflies they are describing. (Their  common names are pretty off-the-wall, too. The only place you'll ever see their "common" names are in their guides.

Similar species: Question Mark had pronounced tails; other anglewings extremely similar.
Life Cycle: Eggs pale green, ribbed, laid in stacks of 2 - 9. Caterpillar 1" light green with spines along length. Chyrsalis brown with gold spots., curved, irregular shape. Hops and nettles are preferred host plants. Adults overwinter. 2 broods in north, more south.
Habitat: Deciduous woods, forest clearings and edges, open woodlands.