Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
Nymphalidae
The butterfly you might see flying on a warm February afternoon over the snow — nothing else looks like it. Deep burgundy-brown wings with a pale cream border and blue spots. Mourning Cloaks are one of the very few NJ butterflies that overwinter as adults, tucked into bark crevices and log piles.
How to spot one.
3–4 inch wingspan
Deep maroon-brown wings
Pale yellow-cream irregular border
Row of small iridescent blue spots inside the border
Ragged wing edges, especially in overwintered individuals
How it lives.
Overwinters as an adult butterfly — not as a chrysalis. Emerges on warm winter and early spring days to feed on tree sap. Lays eggs in spring on willows and elms. May live 10–11 months, the longest lifespan of any NJ butterfly.
The spec sheet.
- Type
- Butterfly
- Active
- January – December
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Nymphalidae
What it needs.
Plants this species visits, feeds on, or depends on. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Willows (Salix)
Larval host
American Elm, Slippery Elm
Larval host
Cottonwood, Aspen
Larval host
Tree sap (esp. oaks)
Nectar source
Overripe fruit, rotting logs
Nectar source
NJ Butterflies · North American Butterfly Association
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