Thursday, May 10, 2007

Mourning Cloak

The Mourning Cloak drifted on the morning breeze.
She had just emerged from the back Elm tree.
She will feed on fruit and in the nectar pots.
These butterflies are all over North America.
From Alaska across to Prince Edwards Island, down the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts, around the Gulf of Mexico and into Central America these medium sized Butterflies connect us.

8 comments:

Chrissie said...

What a beautiful butterful! I have never seen one like it before.

Sheila said...

I must keep my eyes open and my camera ready. Thank you for telling me what it is called. Is there a butterfly book, in the same way there are bird books..?

smilnsigh said...

They may be all over North America but I don't remember seeing one. How lovely! The edge of the wings has a lacy look.

Thank you.

Mari-Nanci

Q said...

Dear Chris,
I am looking forward to seeing your butterflies too. Mark has many English butterflies on his blog. I want to spend some time looking at all of them.
Sherry

Q said...

Hi Sheila,
There are butterfly field guides. I ordered mine last year from Amazon. It is called, Stokes "Beginners"s Guide to Butterflies". This year I bought the field guide to Missiouri's Butterflies and Moths. I would think there are butterfly books for your region. They are like bird books.
These butterflies like rotting fruit, mud puddles and sap.
If you do not mind a few flies try some fruit slices in a basket and see who comes!
Sherry

Q said...

Hi Mari-Nanci,
I had never seen one either!
It says in my butterfly book the larva feed on Willows, Aspens, Elms, Birches and Hackberry trees.
They should be emerging up Norht in a couple of weeks.
Rotting fruit is working very well for me this year.
Sherry

Mary said...

I'll keep looking, Sherry!

Q said...

Hi Mary,
I am seeing more butterflies this year then ever before.
The Monarks are back too.
Busy time in the skies.
Sherry