Mourning Cloak Butterfly

The mourning cloak, Nymphalis antiopa, is a large butterfly and one of the most widely distributed butterfly species. It is known as the mourning cloak in North America and the Camberwell beauty in Britain. The name mourning cloak was coined as the butterfly resembles an archaic, traditional cloak worn when someone was in mourning. In northern areas where it overwinters, adults may be seen basking in the sun on warm days. Mourning cloaks are often referred to as the “Harbingers of Spring” as they are some of the first creatures seen in spring.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Nymphalis

Species: Nymphalis antiopa