Mourning Cloak Butterfly

by Miles Fort

Order: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)

Family: Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies)

Species: Nymphalis antiopa (mourning cloak)

How to identify:

As with most insects, mourning cloak butterflies have six legs and four wings. The outside rim of their wings has a thin border of yellow or white, followed by circles of blue surrounded by black. The rest of their wings are red in color, which fades to brown closer to the body. As caterpillars, mourning cloaks have distinctive red dots along their body and spikes projecting outward. 

Advanced ID: Nymphalidae have significantly reduced front legs; forewings relatively broad and triangular; forewings R 5-branched and 3A lacking; discal cell in hindwings open or closed by a weak vein; scales on antennae (Borror & White, 1970).

Ecology

Metamorphosis Type: Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Larvae often look very different from adults (e.g., caterpillar and butterfly, maggot and fly).

Geographic Range: While native to New Jersey, they can be found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. (Mitton, 2000). 

Habitat: Primarily in hardwood forests but are commonly found in water courses, forest borders, open woodlands, groves, sunny glades, and gardens (Pyle, 1981, p. 622).

Trophic Level: Herbivore.

Food: Butterflies have a long, coiled proboscis, like a straw through which they can only sip liquids. Adults primarily consume tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, mud, and, less often, flower nectar (Walker, n.d.). Caterpillars have strong, mandibulate mouthparts that can chew tough material like leaves. They prefer leaves of willow, hackberry, oak, birch, poplar, and elm (Borrer & White, 1970; Redmond, 2021). 

Why should we care?

Human Uses: The caterpillar stage can be considered a pest if too many are gathered on a single host plant. Mourning cloak caterpillars, in large numbers, have been known to defoliate entire trees (Walker, n.d.). As caterpillars, they are also eaten by a number of indigenous peoples in Mexico (Ramos-Elorduym, 2011). As adults, they are known for their beauty and are sought out by collectors because of the unique coloration on their wings. 

Pollinators: Preferring tree sap to flowers, mourning cloak butterflies are not considered significant pollinators, though they do occasionally drink nectar from flowers.  

Conservation Status: Labeled as “Least Concerned” by the IUCN Red List. Mourning cloaks have a very wide geographic range, so as a whole, the species is not currently threatened. However, there are local threats, including direct loss of habitat and decreased habitat quality from agriculture, pesticides, and climate change (Walker, 2020).

Did you know?

• When frightened, mourning cloak butterflies will play dead by lying on their side and remaining still. And because their outside wings use camouflage, they can disappear into the environment to wait out potential danger (Redmond, 2021).
• Do not touch mourning cloak caterpillars. The little spines on their body act as a defense mechanism and can cause an intense burning sensation if touched (Mitton, 2018).

Images Cited

Photo 1: Lydia Fravel. 2022. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 2: Patti Haskins. 2013. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 3: Xulescu G. 2013. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 4: Judy Gallagher. 2023. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 5: W. Carter. 2018. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 6: Wanderinggnome. 2007. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 7: David A. Hofmann. 2011. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 8: Vicki DeLoach. 2008. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 9: David Marvin. 2022. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

Photo 10: Jon Cox. 2018. Creative Commons License Source: Link 

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