How long do butterflies live? According to most sources, Mourning Cloak butterflies (Nymphalis antiopa), which can live for 10-11 months, are thought to be the longest living butterflies in their range. I am always thrilled to see these darkly colored butterflies, which are known as “Camberwell beauties” in Great Britain, in the early spring and in the autumn.
Where are they the rest of the time? Mourning Cloaks spend part of the summer in aestivation, a hibernation-like state of inactivity to avoid the heat and lack of water. They are active in the fall, eating voraciously to fatten up and then overwinter as adults in another state of dormancy, often on the underside of fallen trees. In the spring, they reawaken to eat, mate, and die. In the north, there is often only a single brood annually, but in the south there may be two or more.
I spotted this butterfly on the first of October at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It looked to me like the butterfly was getting nutrients from the soil or possibly from animal droppings—unlike some butterflies, Mourning Cloaks do not rely on nectar from flowers as a primary source of nutrition.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Very nice Mike!!!
Thanks, Mike.
so lovely
Thanks, Helen.
I like those blue patches.
In the right light, those touches of blue and the golden color ruffles around the edges really shine.
Such a rare migrant to the UK, I’ve only ever seen one and that was in the days before I carried a camera with me.
Nice, clear captures, Mike. Good info about them, too. Makes a case for leaving leaf piles around the edges of one’s yard for them to overwinter in.
I don’t know exactly which specific habitat the mourning cloaks prefer for overwintering, but I think it is mostly in the woods. The cool thing about their hibernation period is that they produce a kind of natural antifreeze that in their body that protects them from the cold.
They are so pretty!
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I’ve seen mourning cloaks for as long as I can remember, and they were among the first butterflies that I was able to identify as a young boy. They’ve long held a special place in my memory.
That is so cool, Gary–I never saw any as I a child. Some years, Mourning Cloaks are the first butterflies that I see in the spring and it is always special for me to see one.
I remember seeing one very early in the spring. I never knew they hibernated. Especially through the summer! Amazing. Thanks Mike
I must confess, John, that I too did not realize they take a summer nap or that they live for 10-11 months. I thought that they lasted for only a month or two, like most insects.
Life is full of surprises. The Mourning Cloaks are a majestic butterfly. There is always so much to learn. Thanks for breaking the myth on their life span !