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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 8738 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 16, 2025
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 24, 2025
Observation date: Mar 22, 2025
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 24, 2025
Observation date: Mar 20, 2025
Submitted by: SDozzler
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 21, 2025
Observation date: Mar 14, 2025
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 14, 2025
Observation date: Mar 11, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 14, 2025
Observation date: Mar 08, 2025
Submitted by: Chris415
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 12, 2025
Observation date: Feb 28, 2025
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 06, 2025
Observation date: Mar 01, 2025
Submitted by: TCollins
Region: Texas, Kerr County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 03, 2025
Observation date: Feb 27, 2025
Submitted by: Karbuckle
Region: Sevier County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Mar 02, 2025
Observation date: Feb 27, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 28, 2025
Observation date: Feb 25, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 27, 2025
Observation date: Feb 24, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 25, 2025
Observation date: Feb 15, 2025
Submitted by: Dwightrshelley
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 16, 2025
Observation date: Feb 02, 2025
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 05, 2025
Observation date: Jan 24, 2025
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 26, 2025
Observation date: Oct 24, 2024
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2024
Observation date: Aug 23, 2024
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 17, 2024
Observation date: Jun 14, 2024
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 09, 2024
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 03, 2024
Observation date: Sep 10, 2024
Submitted by: pattiep9
Region: Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 12, 2024
Observation date: Apr 07, 2021
Submitted by: Al R
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 10, 2024
Observation date: Jul 30, 2024
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 05, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: ElaineO
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2024
Observation date: May 07, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 09, 2024
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