Invertebrates
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa · also called mourning cloaks, Camberwell beauty
On an unseasonably warm day in late winter, with patches of snow still lingering in the shade, a mourning cloak flutters out from beneath a loose flap of tree bark, one of the very first butterflies of the year simply because it never really left.
Overview
The mourning cloak, Nymphalis antiopa, is a dark, distinctively bordered butterfly native to forest and woodland edge habitat across nearly the entire North American continent. Its remarkably long adult lifespan, habit of overwintering as a fully formed adult rather than an egg or chrysalis, and preference for tree sap over flower nectar make it one of the most behaviourally unusual and long-lived butterflies found anywhere in North America.
A butterfly that skips winter dormancy the usual way
While most butterflies spend winter as an egg, caterpillar, or chrysalis, the mourning cloak simply tucks itself into a sheltered crevice as a fully grown adult, ready to fly again the moment conditions allow rather than needing to develop from scratch each spring.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable forest and woodland edge habitat throughout nearly all of North America.
Mourning Cloak: common questions
How does the mourning cloak survive the winter?
This species survives winter by hiding beneath loose tree bark or within similarly sheltered crevices as a fully formed adult butterfly rather than as an egg or chrysalis, entering a dormant state that lets it emerge again and resume flying on the first sufficiently warm days of late winter.
Why is the mourning cloak often one of the first butterflies seen each year?
Because this species overwinters as an already fully developed adult rather than needing to complete development from an egg or caterpillar each spring, it can become active again as soon as temperatures rise enough, often appearing while patches of snow still remain on the ground, well before most other butterfly species have emerged.
Why is it called the mourning cloak?
This species displays dark brownish-purple wings edged with a distinctive pale yellow border, a colour combination and worn, ragged appearance reminiscent of a tattered mourning cloak or shawl, which is how the species came to receive its common name.
What does the mourning cloak eat as an adult?
Unlike many butterflies that rely mainly on flower nectar, this species feeds primarily on tree sap, rotting fruit, and other sugary organic material, a dietary preference shared with several other closely related anglewing butterflies and one that remains useful even in early spring before many flowers have bloomed.