Mourning Cloak - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

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Mourning Cloaks are among Alabama’s longest-lived butterfly species. Adults spend winter months in hiding spots, sheltered from the elements. They emerge on warm days to search for energy sources that include sap flows or carrion. Worn survivors live well into spring, when they resume a normal lifestyle and produce the next generation. Mourning Cloaks engage in mate location behavior known as hilltopping. Heading for the highest geographical point, they look for receptive members of the opposite sex. Once mated, females retreat, but males often remain for days. During spring, the Green Trail at Oak Mountain State Park is an excellent site to witness hilltopping Mourning Cloaks.

Mourning Cloaks are strong fliers and are wanderers by nature. They are a holarctic species, and although they sometimes range into the Coastal Region, they are much more likely to be found in the upper two-thirds of the state.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Bibb, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Colbert, Dallas, Elmore, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

25 - Shelby - 3/5/2009
11 - Perry - 5/17/2008
11 - Shelby - 3/8/2009

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
					2	7	20	40	18	17	7	10	9		1	9	6	17	8						1													1	1

Habitat

Near deciduous woodlands, both upland and near water.

Mourning Cloak (*Nymphalis antiopa*)

County

© Sara Bright

Willow lined Cahaba River

Host and Nectar Plants

Cottonwoods (Populus spp.), willows (Salix spp.), elms (Ulmus spp.), willows (Salix spp.), and hackberries (Celtis spp.) are recorded in other areas.

Willows have been documented in Alabama.