• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Brushfooted Butterflies
  • Snouts
  • Heliconians and Fritillaries
  • True Brushfoots
  • Admirals and Relatives
  • Leafwings
  • Emperors
  • Satyrs
  • Monarchs
• True Brushfoots
  • Gorgone Checkerspot
  • Silvery Checkerspot
  • Harris’ Checkerspot
  • Pearl Crescent
  • Northern Crescent
  • Tawny Crescent
  • Baltimore Checkerspot
  • Question Mark
  • Eastern Comma
  • Satyr Comma
  • Green Comma
  • Gray Comma
  • Compton Tortoiseshell
  • California Tortoiseshell
  • Mourning Cloak
  • Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
  • American Lady
  • Painted Lady
  • Red Admiral
  • Common Buckeye

Mourning Cloak

(Nymphalis antiopa)

The Mourning Cloak is one of my favorite butterflies. The first one that I ever saw was near the end of November, it was cold but no snow was on the ground, and I turned over a large rock with a Mourning Cloak hibernating beneath it. I didn’t realize at the time that some butterflies hibernated, so I was fascinated that so delicate a creature was able to survive Wisconsin winters by hiding in cracks, crevasses, or crannies. I appreciate them even more on the first warm days of March, when I go to my favorite hill to look for first butterfly of the year and it has, more often than not, been a Mourning Cloak. Later in the spring as I roam the woods looking for hepaticas and other spring flowers, this species, while soaring high through the leafless treetops, casts large, bird-like shadows on the beds of spring flowers.

Identifying characteristics: Above, this butterfly is a brownish/red color with a wide yellow margin, and a row of blue submarginal spots. These butterflies are one of the longest-lived butterflies in Wisconsin, living up to 10 months! Individuals seen in May or June are fairly worn and lose some of their colorfulness and appear brownish with a white border. Below this species is brown with a white border.

Similar species: None in Wisconsin.

Habitat: Woodlands, woodland edges, parks, and rarely (despite the photos) in open fields taking nectar.

Flight: This butterfly has one brood which emerges in July, flies throughout the summer and fall, hibernates, and then flies and mates in the spring. I have several very worn Mourning Cloak butterfly photos taken in June, one of which it was amazing to me that it was still able to fly.

Abundance: Although it is usually seen singly, the Mourning Cloak is a fairly common butterfly throughout Wisconsin and one that should be expected in every county.

Recent Mourning Cloak Sightings

Date seen	County	Reported by
Yesterday	Wood	Ron Arnold
Yesterday	Wood	Ron Arnold
Yesterday	Shawano	Rose Tiegs
Wednesday	Marinette	Mike Reese
Monday	Green Lake	Mike Reese
Monday	Dane	Jorgen Goderstad
07–13–2008	Wood	Ron Arnold
07–13–2008	Green	Craig Ellefson
07–11–2008	Milwaukee	Judith Huf
07–09–2008	Dane	Ann Thering
07–08–2008	Dane	Tom Poklen
07–07–2008	Waukesha	Heidi Holzhauer
07–06–2008	Columbia	Mike Reese
07–06–2008	Bayfield	Ryan Brady
07–04–2008	Dane	Jorgen Goderstad
07–04–2008	Oconto	Rose Tiegs
07–04–2008	Dane	Joan Braune and Tod Highsmith
07–04–2008	Sauk	Wayne Anderson
07–03–2008	Wood	Ron Arnold, Ann Thering, Mike Reese
07–03–2008	Dane	Jorgen Goderstad
07–02–2008	Milwaukee	Christine Taylor
07–01–2008	Price	Mike Reese
07–01–2008	Dane	Ann Thering

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