Mourning cloak life stages, from The Papilios of Great Britain, William Lewin, 1795.
Another harbinger of spring, Mourning cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa) should be appearing this month, that is, if we can get rid of the last of the winter weather and get a few warm sunny days! Native to Europe as well as America, the name “mourning cloak” is the same in several of the Germanic languages. According to Wikipedia, British entomologist L. Hugh Newman “likened the butterfly's pattern to a girl who, disliking having to be in mourning, defiantly let a few inches of a bright dress show below her mourning dress.”
Mourning cloaks are one of the few butterflies that overwinter as an adult butterfly, sheltering in place under tree bark in surrounding forests through the cold and snow. Like many overwintering insects, they survive the winter in a state of dormancy, having produced natural antifreeze that reduces the chance of freezing. In spring when sunny days arrive, they are one of the earliest butterflies you might see.
Look for the dark purplish wings with blueish spots along a dull yellow trim, flitting or gliding through the spring shadows. When they rest with wings folded up, they blend with their surroundings. The adults will mate in the spring and females will lay eggs on one of several host plants including willows, poplars, elm, birch and hawthorn. The caterpillars remain together often feeding within silk webbing as youngsters and then spreading out as they mature. The caterpillar forms a chrysalis in early summer and emerges as an adult butterfly in a few weeks. These are the adults that will overwinter and emerge the following year.
Around the world the symbolism of butterflies has different meanings—some people view the butterfly as representing “endurance, change, hope, and life.” Perfect for our current times!
Banner: Adult mourning cloak butterfly. Photo: Tom Halliwell