The onset of spring is an amazing time in nature, beginning with a surprising array of species adapted to its fickle mix of warmth and freezing temperatures.
Among the most amazing is this species, the mourning cloak butterfly. All of its delicate adult cousins have succumbed to the cold, their next generation relying on eggs laid last season. But mourning cloak butterflies can manage to survive the winter months, taking shelter under bark, in cracks and crevices or other places out of direct exposure to winter’s worst. They’ll emerge on warmer days this time of year and can be seen fluttering about, feeding on tree sap or perhaps the remains of fruits.
Mourning cloaks may be the most long-lived of our butterflies, capable of surviving nearly a year as an adult.
