Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Short projections on both wings, borders irregular. Upperside is purple-black with a wide, bright yellow border on outer margins, and a row of iridescent blue spots at the inner edge of the border.
Wing Span: 2 1/4 - 4 inches (5.7 - 10.1 cm).
Life History: Overwintered adults mate in the spring, the males perching in sunny openings during the afternoon to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid in groups circling twigs of the host plant. Caterpillars live in a communal web and feed together on young leaves, then pupate and emerge as adults in June or July. After feeding briefly, the adults estivate until fall, when they re-emerge to feed and store energy for hibernation. Some adults migrate south in the fall.
Flight: Usually one flight from June-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Willows including black willow (Salix nigra), weeping willow (S. babylonica), and silky willow (S. sericea); also American elm (Ulmus americana), cottonwood (Populus deltoides), aspen (P. tremuloides), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). Older caterpillars wander about and may be found on plants that they do not eat.
Adult Food: Mourning Cloaks prefer tree sap, especially that of oaks. They walk down the trunk to the sap and feed head downward. They will also feed on rotting fruit, and only occasionally on flower nectar.
Habitat: Because Mourning Cloaks roam and migrate, they are found almost anywhere that host plants occur including woods, openings, parks, and suburbs; and especially in riparian areas.
Range: All of North America south of the tundra to central Mexico; rarely in the Gulf States and peninsular Florida. Also native to temperate Eurasia. Comments: Adults live 10-11 months and may be our longest lived butterfly.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Occasionally may be necessary to control caterpillar damage to shade trees.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 7981 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 02, 2019
Submitted by: pnesterenko
Region: El Paso County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: LIForestGuide
Region: Richmond County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 07, 2019
Submitted by: woody meristem
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 07, 2019
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 02, 2019
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Cascade County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 26, 2019
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: JendenT
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 24, 2019
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Cascade County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 22, 2019
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: Wanderlost
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 21, 2019
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: Wanderlost
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 21, 2019
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: Wanderlost
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 21, 2019
Observation date: Aug 07, 2019
Submitted by: stevefmt
Region: Missoula County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 13, 2019
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Aug 11, 2019
Observation date: Aug 07, 2019
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 07, 2019
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: grasshoppah
Region: Clare County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 03, 2019
Observation date: Jul 29, 2019
Submitted by: D MacLellan
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 30, 2019
Observation date: May 19, 2013
Submitted by: NBBAM
Region: Clallam County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 28, 2019
Observation date: Sep 09, 2018
Submitted by: shareilly
Region: Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: BGilley
Verified date: Jul 23, 2019
Observation date: Jul 17, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 22, 2019
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: gccwang24
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 18, 2019
Observation date: Jul 16, 2019
Submitted by: Robert Shanta
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 18, 2019
Observation date: May 30, 2019
Submitted by: Heidrun
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 17, 2019
Observation date: May 30, 2019
Submitted by: Heidrun
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 17, 2019
Observation date: Jul 04, 2019
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 13, 2019
- 1 of 333
- next ›