There are over 200 species of butterflies in California. I wanted to draw some of them - some, but not all of them - in color pencil. I chose six species that have a special meaning for me, especially the mourning cloak. The mourning cloak and I go way back.
In my youth, butterflies had caught my attention. I spent time studying them and learning their names. I was always happy to share what I'd learned. Then one day, my knowledge was challenged.
My mother often sent me across the street to help a neighbor lady with chores. One day we were in her yard weeding, and a mourning cloak fluttered by and landed. I pointed it out and said its name. She corrected me and called it a monarch. I knew it wasn’t a monarch and I, in turn, corrected her back. To which she bristled, and in a very authoritative voice, told me how she had written up her senior year dissertation on the very butterfly in front of us and that she should, and does, know the proper name for it. And it was a monarch.
I am not confrontational by nature, so I dropped it. However, after the chores were done, I went home and complained to my mom and asked how to best set her straight. My mom counseled me to let it go and not pursue the issue. I was, and still am, annoyed.
It.Was.A.Mourning.Cloak!
It was and still is one of my favorite butterflies. I love the yellow margin with the tiny flecks of dark scales that give it a weathered or antiqued look, and the little flecks of blue.
The memory of that afternoon in the neighbor lady's yard came flooding back when I drew this morning cloak. I guess I couldn't let it go.
Adding to the mourning cloak, I chose 5 other significant butterflies in the family Nymphalidae.
California tortoiseshell, Nymphalis californica. The adults have such a beautiful wing pattern and the larvae eat various species of Ceanothus. This butterfly is migratory and has irregular population explosions resulting in enormous swarms all over the western US. We're experiencing one now, in 2026.
California sister, Adelpha californica. The butterfly is named "sister" for its black and white markings on the forewing that resemble a nun’s habit. I think the underside of the wings have the most beautiful colors. There are really nice lilac spots which is a very uncommon color in insects. One day I'll draw the undersides of butterfly wings. The larvae feed on oaks and they are unpalatable both as larvae and adults due to the tanins and other compounds from the leaves they feed on, just like monarchs. And like the monarch, there are several species that mimic the California sister.
Painted lady, Vanessa cardui. The most widespread butterfly species and a consistent migratory species. Each spring individuals fly northward from southern deserts where they spent the winter. Like the tortoiseshell mentioned above, their population numbers fluctuate. They have more than 300 recorded host plants including thistles, sunflowers and sagebrush.
The etymology of the scientific name is also interesting. It was first described by Carolus Linnaeus (the father of modern taxonomy) as Papilio cardui in 1758 which in Latin literally means the butterfly of thistles. The genus name was changed to Vanessa by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1807 because the genus Papilio was growing too large to house all of the butterfly species being named at the time. Fabricius was Linnaeus' favorite student and named a lot of insect species. He often turned to literature to help come up with names for different taxa. Vanessa is derived from Jonathan Swift's poem "Cadenus and Vanessa". There were many references to nymphs in the poem, which harkens to the family name of all these butterflies - Nymphalidae. Art and science intertwined.
California dogface, Zerene eurydice. It is only found in California (endemic) and is the California state insect. California was the first state to designate an official state insect and they selected the dogface in 1972! Only the male has the distinct dog-in-profile markings on the forewings; the females are uniformly yellow with a few spots. Larvae feed exclusively on California false indigo, Amorpha californica, and desert false indigo, Amorpha fruitcosa, that grow in riparian areas in oak and coniferous woodlands. The adults feed on nectar and seem to have an affinity for purple flowers like thistles, but are important pollinators of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), making them important pollinators for various native plants, including California buckeye.
Common buckeye, Junonia coenia. A butterfly found across North and Central America that frequents sunny grassy areas with low-growing vegetation. Larvae feed on plantain and cudweed. The adult wings exhibit a common color deception phenomenon to protect it from predators. They have large round spots that resemble eyes of vertebrates. The idea goes like this: If the butterfly is settled on the ground or on a plant and a predator such as a bird comes along, the buckeye will flash its wings open and closed. The predator will be startled at what appears to be a large vertebrate staring back at it. In that brief moment, the buckeye might have just enough time to escape and fly away unharmed.
Mourning cloak, Nymphalis antiopa. The adult has a lifespan of 11 to 12 months, making it the longest-lived butterfly in North America. The larvae feed on leaves of hardwoods like elm, willow, cottonwoods and birches. And it is most certainly not a monarch.
