Mourning cloak

Binomial: Nympalis antiopa

Range: Found throughout the northern hemisphere

Larval Host Plants: Willows, Cottonwood, Aspen, Sugarberry, Quaking Aspen confirmed. Ash, Alder, Box Elder, Maple, Hackberry, and Birch likely. Also known to defoliate introduced Chinese elm.

Though not as numerous as other butterfly species that we find at the Venice High School Learning Garden in Los Angeles, mourning cloaks are a special treat. Adults are large (comparable in size to monarchs) with distinct markings unlike any other species. The upperside of their wings are brown to maroon with pale fringed edges lined with a streak of blue-spotted black. While there’s no differentiation in wing pattern between males and females, variations sometimes occur where the pale fringe covers a greater portion of the wings and may partially or fully eclipse the blue spots.

In colder climates, adult mourning cloaks overwinter in tree cavities and beneath snow-covered forest litter. In these locations, they are often first to emerge in the spring before the snow has completely melted and before nectar sources are available. They’ve adapted to this, favoring tree sap to flower nectar. The bark-like appearance beneath their wings is the perfect accessory for blending in.

Males are territorial and engage in what’s called lekking behavior. They chase away other male mourning cloaks (and monarchs, in the case of the Learning Garden) to claim resource-rich areas likely to attract female mourning cloaks. Males also prefer a high perch for surveying their domains. This may include landing on unsuspecting humans.

Possibly our longest-lived butterfly, mourning cloaks have a lifespan of 11 to 12 months. That distinct wing marking (with the blues and white along the margin) may be part of their survival strategy. You’ll notice that the butterfly standing on the kale leaf (above) is missing a good chunk of hindwing. Directing a bird’s attention to a more colorful but less life-essential area can ensure that a pecked butterfly lives to fight and fly another day. In a 2019 study about butterfly wing damage published in the Journal of Experimental Biology researchers found that deteriorated wing margin had no detectable effect on flight behavior.

Lek long and prosper.