The beautiful orange and brown colors of this Eastern Comma butterfly (Polygonia comma) that I recently spotted at Huntley Meadows Park make it a perfect symbol of this autumn season. This species seems to like to perch on trees, sometimes facing downward, as was the case this time.
Not long ago I did a posting that featured a Question Mark butterfly, a species that closely resembles this one, but the relatively clear white marking on the hind wing make me think this is an Eastern Comma butterfly. My recent record in correctly identifying butterflies has not been great, however, so I welcome a correction if my identification is incorrect.
It is not immediately apparent from this image, but Eastern Comma butterflies blend in really well with the bark of the trees. The sun was shining through the wings from behind, making the orange color of the inner wings much more prominent than usual, allowing us to see both the colors and the shape of this beautiful butterfly.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
If they blend in that well I’m not surprised that I don’t see them.
They are usually hiding on the trees and if they don’t move, they are tough to spot.
Bravo for the backlighting!
I used to fear backlighting because of the challenges it presents for exposure, but now I actively seek it out, though in this case it was mostly a case of serendipity.