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Adult

Green Commas are smaller and darker than any other anglewing except Hoary Anglewings, and are the second most common anglewing in BC. They are characterized by the green spotting on the underside of the wings of the males, which is sometimes barely discernible in females. Males have a variegated pattern on the underside of the wings, whereas females are more evenly brown.

Immature Stages

Eggs are green, with 10-12 vertical ribs. Mature larvae have black bilobed heads, with short black spines at the top of the lobes. The body has a dorsal row of branched spines, and three lateral rows along each side. The front half of the body is bright buff orange, and the rear half is pure white. Along the sides are two wavy orange lines that unite irregularly, above which are faint black lines. There are black dots in the gaps between the segments; the gaps are buff (front half of body) or white (rear half of body). The spiracles are black and ringed with white; the underside is pinkish tan. Pupae are light brown, often with a reddish flush on top of the front of the abdomen, or dark grey. The pupae are longer and slimmer, with front projections twice as long, compared with the pupae of our other anglewings. The upper tubercles are silvered (Edwards 1868-72, 1874-84; Scott 1988; CSG). The larval description by Sugden (1970) is apparently in error.

Subspecies

Green Commas in BC are subspecies rusticus (W.H. Edwards, 1874) (TL: Big Trees, Calaveras Co., CA). In the mountains of northern BC, they tend to be smaller, darker, and greyer, tending towards subspecies arcticus Leussler, 1935 (TL: base of Black Mt., 30 miles SW of Aklavik, NT). Subspecies arcticus is more similar to subspecies hylas Edwards, 1872 (TL: Colorado) than to subspecies rusticus (dos Passos 1977).