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 8547 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: May 17, 2021
Submitted by: flyinganvil
Region: Kittitas County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jan 01, 2023
Observation date: Mar 02, 2022
Submitted by: debnlasal
Region: Grand County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Dec 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: N_Santill
Region: Skagit County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 02, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 06, 2022
Submitted by: Aner
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Sep 08, 2012
Submitted by: J Rachwalski
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Mar 29, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Leonard
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Mar 29, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Leonard
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Mar 29, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Leonard
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 18, 2022
Submitted by: davek
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Granite County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 19, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Jefferson County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 21, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: chneal
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2019
Submitted by: Liz Osborn
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2022
Submitted by: sandyleapt
Region: Clackamas County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2019
Submitted by: Claude Rioux
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: Liz Osborn
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: Aat
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2019
Submitted by: hdcooper
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
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