Artwork
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mixed media artwork- shaded pencil sketch with watercolor overlay
Identification
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3 to 4 inch wingspan
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wings above dark brown with yellow border and blue spots
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wings below dark with whitish border
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larva -black caterpillar speckled with small white dots, dorsal band of reddish spots, black spines
Diet
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adults feed on sap from trees, juices of overripe fruit. Obtain minerals and moisture from the soil.
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caterpillars feed on elm, poplar, birches and willows
Location
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found in a wide range of habitats but are often in hardwood forests
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occurs across most of North America
Cool Facts
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hibernates as an adult butterfly in hollow logs, wood piles or under loose bark
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usually the first butterfly we see in the spring. May even appear during the winter on very mild days.
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is one of the longest lived butterflies, living up to eleven months
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Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
Pencil and Watercolor
October 2006