Family: Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies view all from this family

Description 2 7/8-3 3/8" (73-86 mm). Large. Wing margins ragged. Dark with pale margins. Above, rich brownish-maroon, iridescent at close range, with ragged, cream-yellow band, bordered inwardly by brilliant blue spots all along both wings. Below, striated, ash-black with row of blue-green to blue-gray chevrons just inside dirty yellow border.

Life Cycle Egg, to 9/256" h x 7/256" w (0.9 x 0.7 mm), pale, becoming black before hatching; laid in groups on or around a twig. Caterpillar, to 2" (51 mm), velvety black with white speckles, a row of red spots on back, and several rows of branched black bristles; has rust-colored legs. Feeds in groups on many broadleaf deciduous plants: willow (Salix), elm (Ulmus), hackberry (Celtis), and cottonwood (Populus). Chrysalis, to 7/8" (28 mm), tan to gray, with 2 head horns, a "beak," and several thorny tubercles down the body; hangs upside down.

Flight Number of broods varies with latitude and altitude; year-round, most common in spring, late summer, and early autumn.

Habitat Watercourses, sunny glades, forest borders, parks, gardens, open woodlands, and groves.

Range Much of Northern Hemisphere south to N. South America; virtually all of North America where sufficient moisture occurs, except for high Arctic and subtropical regions.

Discussion Absolutely unique, the Mourning Cloak camouflages itself perfectly against dark bark at rest, then flaps instantly into flight at the approach of any predator, emitting an audible "click." Few butterflies show such a great contrast between the drab underside and colorful upperside. In summer, adults may be attracted with fruit for closer observation. While less common in some areas than in others, Mourning Cloaks do not seem to undergo the massive fluctuations in abundance typical of the Compton and California tortoiseshells.