Compton Tortoiseshell

Nymphalis vaualbum

''Nymphalis vaualbum'' or ''N. l-album'', the Compton tortoiseshell, or false comma, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Compton Tortoiseshell Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis l-album) butterfly enjoying the Spring sun on NCC27 Greenbelt Trail, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Canada,Compton Tortoiseshell,Compton tortoiseshell,Geotagged,NCC27 Greenbelt Trail,Nymphalis l-album,Nymphalis vaualbum,Ontario,Ottawa,Spring,butterfly

Appearance

The underside of both the male and female's wings are dark mottled brown, much like tree bark. While the outside is "dull" and bark like, the inside is orange brown with dark tips. There is a single white dot or comma on the underside of each wing of both males and females similar to that of the comma butterfly , hence the name false comma.
Nymphalis vaualbum View of underwings of Nymphalis vaualbum (Compton Tortoiseshell) found dead on the side of a busy highway through the forest. Compton Tortoiseshell,Geotagged,Minnesota,Nymphalis vaualbum,Summer,United States,butterfly

Naming

An assertion that the name ''Nymphalis l-album'' is in fact the correct name over the widely used ''Nymphalis vaualbum'' proved to have backing when it was discovered the description covering ''vaualbum'' did not include a description or type specimen. Thus ''vaualbum'' can be considered ''nomen nudum'', giving ''Nymphalis l-album'' priority.
Nymphalis vaualbum View of upperwings of Nymphalis vaualbum (Compton Tortoiseshell) found dead on the side of a busy highway through the forest. Compton Tortoiseshell,Geotagged,Minnesota,Nymphalis vaualbum,Summer,United States,butterfly

Distribution

It is seen in deciduous and coniferous forest in a wide range throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The nominate subspecies is found throughout central Asia. The subspecies, ''N. v. j-album'''s, range consists of Alaska and Canada south into Montana and Wyoming. They are seen east to New England and eastern Canada and south to North Carolina and Missouri. They rarely migrate to Newfoundland and Labrador, Nebraska, and Florida. The species is also found in temperate Eurasia including the Caucasus.

Behavior

The adult female will lay her eggs in a clump on the host plant. Once the eggs hatch the caterpillars will feed together until they pupate. There is one brood that flies from July to November.

Reproduction

*''Populus''
⤷ ''Salix''
⤷ ''Betula populifolia''
⤷ ''Betula papyrifera''

Food

*''Populus''
⤷ ''Salix''
⤷ ''Betula populifolia''
⤷ ''Betula papyrifera''*Plant sap
⤷ Rotting fruit
⤷ Willow nectar

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyNymphalidae
GenusNymphalis
Species