The Mourning Cloak is one of North America's longest-lived butterflies, overwintering as an adult and sometimes living nearly a year. Its distinctive dark maroon wings are edged with bright yellow borders and a row of iridescent blue spots. Adults emerge on warm late-winter days to feed on tree sap and are among the first butterflies seen each spring.
Best time to see a Mourning Cloak
The best time to see a Mourning Cloak is March–June, when about 71% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 48,868 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Mourning Cloak? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Mourning Cloak sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Mourning Cloak? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Mourning Cloak is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love insects & arthropods? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.