Mixed media artwork- shaded pencil sketch with watercolor overlay.
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
Identification
- wingspan is 5.5 to 10 cm
- wings (upper) are dark brown with a bright yellow border and iridescent blue spots near the outer edges
- wings (below) are dark with whitish border
- larva is a black caterpillar with black spines and is speckled with small white dots and a dorsal band of larger reddish spots
Life History
- eggs are laid around the twigs of host trees
- young caterpillars live in a web while they feed on leaves
- they pupate and adults emerge in June or July
Diet
- adults feed on sap from trees, especially oaks; juices of overripe fruit; sometimes flower nectar. They obtain minerals and moisture from the soil
- caterpillars feed mainly on willows but will also eat on elms, poplars and birches
Location
- found in a wide range of habitats but are often in hardwood forests
- occurs across most of North America
Cool Facts
- hibernates as an adult butterfly in hollow logs, wood piles or under loose bark
- usually the first butterfly we see in the spring. May even appear during the winter on very mild days.
- is one of the longest lived butterflies, living up to eleven months