Mourning cloak

Dark maroon wings edged with a ragged cream border and a line of blue spots make the mourning cloak unmistakable, a butterfly that looks like a fallen leaf until it opens.

It is one of the longest-lived butterflies, hibernating as an adult and often the first seen in late winter, flying on warm days before any flowers bloom. It favors tree sap and fruit over nectar.

Caterpillars feed in groups on willows, elms, and poplars.