Morning cloak butterfly spotted on March 29 in Kelowna.

Morning cloak butterflies are fairly large and may have a four inch open wingspan.  When their wings are closed, the butterfly appears to be a bit of bark or perhaps a leaf.  When open, a unique and easily identifiable pattern emerges.  Morning cloaks may overwinter by hiding under leaf litter or in well-hidden crevices.  These are among the earliest butterflies to be seen; it was the first butterfly I have seen this year.

The butterfly was flying around in my neighbour's back yard.  Although there are few flowers about (besides snowdrops, primroses, and such), they can obtain nutrients from sap and decaying matter.  They will also take nectar from flowers, although this is not their primary food source.  The butterflies will mate early and lay their eggs on quite a variety of plants including willow, elm, and poplar.

The morning cloak is not considered a helpful insect in that it isn't much of a pollinator.  It can be harmful to small trees where a group of them can defoliate them completely.  The butterflies are, however, a source of food for many other organisms and, as such, play a viable role in ecosystems. 

It was nice seeing this one individual.  The above photos were taken from my collection as I did not have my camera at the time.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com