Nymphalis antiopa
Encyclopedia
Nymphalis antiopa, known as the Mourning Cloak in North America
and the Camberwell Beauty in Britain
, is a large butterfly
native to Eurasia
and North America
. See also Anglewing
butterflies. The immature form of this species
is sometimes known as the spiny elm caterpillar. Other older names for this species include Grand Surprise and White Petticoat. A powerful flier, this species is sometimes found in areas far from its usual range during migration. It is also the State Insect of Montana
.
Nymphalis antiopa has a wingspan of 62–75 mm. The upper side of the butterfly is colored in a very dark red, with a bright, yellowish border around the wings. There is a darker band with bright blue spots between the border and the dark red inner side. Sexes are similar, although the females are slightly larger.
These butterflies lay eggs in clusters around twigs of their favored food plants, in Europe, generally Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) and in North America, generally Black Willow
(Salix nigra) but also other willow
species, as well as poplar
, elm
, birch
, and hackberry. The larva
e feed gregariously, and are black and spiny, with fine white speckles, and a row of red spots running down the back. They disperse to pupate and emerge after about three weeks. Soon after emergence, they will disperse further from their breeding grounds in order to find food (sometimes nectar, but more commonly tree sap) to build up fat stores for hibernation
, and will often enter parks and gardens to do so. They are single-brooded and hibernate as adults.
Throughout its range, this species is generally considered a butterfly of woodlands, though it may occasionally be found in drier areas such as the deserts of western North America. During migration, they may be found in almost any habitat. The Mourning Cloak was adopted as the state butterfly of the State of Montana
in 2001.
and Japan
. Migrants arrive in Great Britain
most years during summer and autumn, but numbers are usually very low. There is no evidence that the species breeds in Britain; it is thought that mild, wet winters prevent them from surviving there for very long. The 'Butterfly Farmer' L. Hugh Newman
raised thousands for release at his 'farm' in Bexley
, but none were seen the following spring. Specimens stored in his refrigerator for the winter survived however.
in Camberwell
in August 1748. Camberwell is in South London, about three miles south of London Bridge—in reporting this, the author Harris named the species Grand Surprise or Camberwell Beauty (Bretherton & Emmet, 1990). It has been suggested that the "pair" were stowaways on ships bringing timber from Scandinavia.
mentions the Mourning Cloak (or the similar looking Red-spotted Purple
) – a butterfly that makes her pause and think, while writing. The poem is also a word-picture or iconograph
– the lines are laid out to look like a butterfly. In the Doomspell Trilogy by Cliff McNish
, Camberwell Beauties are the main icon of the baby Yemi. They act as his protectors and guides and Yemi's magic enlarges them to the size of cats.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the Camberwell Beauty in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, is a large butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
native to Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. See also Anglewing
Anglewing
Anglewing butterflies — sensu Schiffermueller, [1775]A monophyletic group of nymphaline butterflies inhabiting Northern hemisphere, characterized by a jagged outline of their wings and the ability to survive the winter months as adults in an obligatory hibernal diapause, hiding in various...
butterflies. The immature form of this species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
is sometimes known as the spiny elm caterpillar. Other older names for this species include Grand Surprise and White Petticoat. A powerful flier, this species is sometimes found in areas far from its usual range during migration. It is also the State Insect of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Appearance and Behaviour
These butterflies lay eggs in clusters around twigs of their favored food plants, in Europe, generally Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) and in North America, generally Black Willow
Black Willow
Salix nigra is a species of willow native to eastern North America, from New Brunswick and southern Ontario west to Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and Texas.-Description:...
(Salix nigra) but also other willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
species, as well as poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
, elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
, birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
, and hackberry. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed gregariously, and are black and spiny, with fine white speckles, and a row of red spots running down the back. They disperse to pupate and emerge after about three weeks. Soon after emergence, they will disperse further from their breeding grounds in order to find food (sometimes nectar, but more commonly tree sap) to build up fat stores for hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
, and will often enter parks and gardens to do so. They are single-brooded and hibernate as adults.
Throughout its range, this species is generally considered a butterfly of woodlands, though it may occasionally be found in drier areas such as the deserts of western North America. During migration, they may be found in almost any habitat. The Mourning Cloak was adopted as the state butterfly of the State of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in 2001.
Distribution
In North America, N. antiopa ranges from the northern tundra to central Mexico. It is also found throughout continental Europe to eastern SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Migrants arrive in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
most years during summer and autumn, but numbers are usually very low. There is no evidence that the species breeds in Britain; it is thought that mild, wet winters prevent them from surviving there for very long. The 'Butterfly Farmer' L. Hugh Newman
L. Hugh Newman
Leonard Hugh Newman, always known as L. Hugh Newman, was a British entomologist, author and broadcaster. He wrote many popular books on insects, especially butterflies and moths. With Peter Scott and James Fisher, he was a resident member of the team who presented "Nature Parliament" on BBC...
raised thousands for release at his 'farm' in Bexley
Bexley
Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...
, but none were seen the following spring. Specimens stored in his refrigerator for the winter survived however.
The North American name "Mourning Cloak"
In several European countries other than Britain with Germanic languages, the name for this butterfly literally translates to "Mourning Cloak", such as German "Trauermantel", Swedish "sorgmantel", and Norwegian "Sørgekåpen". This suggests it is a name which came with Scandinavian or German rather than with British settlers, for whom this species would be rather less familiar.The British name "Camberwell Beauty"
The name originated from the discovery of two individuals at Coldharbour LaneColdharbour Lane
Coldharbour Lane is a road in South London that leads south-westwards from Camberwell to Brixton. In total the road is over 1 mile long with a mixture of residential, business and retail buildings - the stretch of Coldharbour Lane near Brixton Market contains shops, bars and restaurants...
in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
in August 1748. Camberwell is in South London, about three miles south of London Bridge—in reporting this, the author Harris named the species Grand Surprise or Camberwell Beauty (Bretherton & Emmet, 1990). It has been suggested that the "pair" were stowaways on ships bringing timber from Scandinavia.
In popular culture
The poem Unconscious came a beauty by May SwensonMay Swenson
Anna Thilda May "May" Swenson was an American poet and playwright...
mentions the Mourning Cloak (or the similar looking Red-spotted Purple
Red-spotted Purple
The White Admiral or Red-spotted Purple is a polytypic species of North American brush-footed butterfly, common throughout much of the eastern United States. L. a. astyanax has red spots on its underside and the top of the wings are notable for their iridescent blue markings. L. a...
) – a butterfly that makes her pause and think, while writing. The poem is also a word-picture or iconograph
Iconograph
An iconograph is a picture formed by a word or words. It can take the form of irregularly shaped letters or irregularly aligned text....
– the lines are laid out to look like a butterfly. In the Doomspell Trilogy by Cliff McNish
Cliff McNish
Cliff McNish is a fantasy author for young adults. His books are notable for their use of bizarre, intense imagery. He visits many schools as well to talk about how he became a writer.- The Doomspell Trilogy :...
, Camberwell Beauties are the main icon of the baby Yemi. They act as his protectors and guides and Yemi's magic enlarges them to the size of cats.
External links
- Nymphalis antiopa: Reference quality large format photographs and information Cirrus Digital Imaging
- Nymphalis antiopa at funet.fi
- Nymphalis antiopa at Butterfliesandmoths.org
- Mourning Cloak, Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility
- mourning cloak on the UFUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
/ IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
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