The outline is actually violet or lavender in color and is very pretty. I've had several here the last few days feeding on the bananas. Mary, that's why I put my fruit in a suet feeder and hang it up. Sometimes I'll leave a few on the ground for the possums (that's what eats mine). Congrats on your visitor! Susan

It's hard for me to describe it to you, seedmoney, especially since your QM is faded, but question marks have an extra black marking near the tip of their wings that commas don't have. The Kaufman field guide points to it in the pictures, and I imagine other butterfly field guides do also. You'd need to look at the pictures there or maybe there are some on the internet that would show the mark. In my area, they like hops vines and false nettles/Boehmeria cylindrica. Unfortunately, my hops vines aren't growing this year, they're still pitifully small, but the false nettles are really thriving, big and still growing. False nettles are also the principle host for red admirals here, so they do double duty, making them a great host plant! Question marks are known to also use many other members of the Urticales order in the plant family, like elms, stinging nettles, and pellitory. In many areas, they visit rotting fruit, but they've never visited mine - I just get flies! :( If you plant whichever of their host plants do best in your area, you'll see them from time to time. Unfortunately, they don't visit flowers like most butterflies, but you'll still see them here and there. Sherry

Paul, I found QMs on my hops, but found some more on an Elm sapling. If you have any, check it out, too. I think the reason the laid their eggs on the Elm is because it is about 10' away from the fruit plate I put out for them. Obviously, they weren't just nectaring! LOL! Susan

...especially when half the time the QMs are missing the "." at the bottom of the crescent/comma. I've always thought the Commas were a bit more dull in coloration than QMs. My Oklahoma book distinguishes the Comma from the QM by the Comma's truncated forewing tips.. There is also a black subapical mark on the QM forewing upperside that the Comma apparently does not have. Lovely photos Miss Sherry, as always. Susan