Mourning Cloak Caterpillar
Nymphalis antiopa (caterpillar)
A dark, spiny caterpillar usually found on willows, elms, birches, poplars, and other host trees. It feeds on leaves with chewing mandibles and spends much of its time on the plant that hatched it. Its branched black spines and reddish spots help deter small predators, though it is not a true stinging caterpillar. Young larvae often feed near one another, while older caterpillars wander away before pupating.
- Type
- Shell
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- Mourning Cloak Caterpillar
- ?
- Mourning Cloak