Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Description: Our only butterfly with pale borders on otherwise dark wings. Above the wings are dark maroon with strongly contrasting yellow border, below the wings are grayish-brown with strongly contrasting whitish-yellow border. Wingspan: 45 to 79 mm.

Maritime Distribution: Throughout Maritimes. For Atlas results click here.

Provincial Ranks: NB: S4. NS: S5. PEI: S3S4.

Flight Period: Mourning Cloaks overwinter as adults, and can be seen flying from March to October. There may be one or two generations per year.

Host Plant: A wide variety of deciduous trees including willows (Salix spp.), elms (Ulmus spp.), maples (Acer spp.), and birches (Betula spp.).

Notes: Mourning Cloak is most often seen in and around forested habitats. It can be especially common along wood roads in late summer.