Neverspent's Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Nymphalis antiopa, a large, showy, dark-colored butterfly, has two English names. In England it's the Camberwell Beauty, a rare visitor from continental Europe; in the United States it's the Mourning Cloak. Neverspent's photo shows why:

http://neverspent.dreamwidth.org/118009.html

I've not seen a Mourning Cloak at the Cat Sanctuary yet this year. Some years I've seen the butterfly (never more than one), and one year I saw the formidable-looking, but harmless, black spiky caterpillar. Neither can be mistaken for anything else.

Thanks to Elizabeth Barrette for sharing the link.

More information and pictures can be found at Wikipedia (of course), and there's an information sheet and slideshow here:

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Nymphalis-antiopa