Mourning Cloak  - Nymphalis antiopa

Location/Trail:  Veit SpringsDate sighted:  7/04/2010Season:  SummerFamily: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
Subfamily: True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)

Wing span: 2 1/4 - 4 inches (5.7 - 10.1 cm).

In the Sonoran Desert, the Mourning Cloak, remains within riparian habitats where there willows. In northern Arizona, they are found in open meadows and forests. The under-side of their wings are very cryptic, allowing the butterfly to hide within and on bark of trees. They rarely sip flower nectar, preferring instead the sap of trees.