Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Nymphalis antiopa

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Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Nymphalis antiopa

After a long break over the holidays, I am returning with these photos of a mourning cloak butterfly that I took on August 31. These are the best photos I have been able to take of this skittish and beautiful butterfly.

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Mourning Cloak

Nymphalis antiopa

I have photographed rarer butterflies than the mourning cloak, but I have never photographed one as skittish as this species. Not only do they fly away at the vibration of the wind, they seldom seem (at least for me) to open their wings. This one would only stay in the shade. I couldn't get myself into any shade to help the lighting of the photograph. I present this beautiful butterfly as is: shaded and dark. But I think there is still enough of the beauty shown to be appreciated. The last photograph of this post is of the Mourning cloak larva, which we found on a rake leaning on the house this summer. I'll be looking for more next summer!

Larva

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A Mourning Cloak Larva

Above is a caterpillar that will metamorphose into a mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa). There were quite a few of these caterpillars on the back of the house in early August. Below is a photograph of the butterfly.

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Mourning Cloak

Nymphalis antiiopa

Mourning Cloak Butterfly Set on Flickr

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Mourning Cloak Butterfly

I was chasing this butterfly all over the place after school today and this is all I got. It flew faster than I ran. Of course Buddy heard me and came out of the barn to say good afternoon. He saw my butterfly and chased it out of the front door yard. These are my best butterfly photos of this season, so I posted all three. This is also my first mourning cloak (love the name).

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Mourning Cloak Butterfly Nest?

This summer while searching for a way up Barton Mountain, Wingnut and I came across this nest in a wild apple tree. It is probably a tent caterpillar nest, which produces a brown moth. But all of the caterpillars were vibrating with the same rhythm, which was quite amazing to see. I read something about such a vibration with the caterpillars of the mourning cloak butterfly, so I am hoping that this is what we saw. Information on the web is very non-specific. If you know anything, please leave a comment.

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