Mourning Cloak

Range: Western United Stages
Average size: 3-4  inch wingspan
​Primary food: Caterpillars feed on willows 

Arundo donax is not a good food source for most insects. Nesting birds rely on flying insects, caterpillars, etc as food for their young. Large stands of arundo push out the willows and other trees that support butterflies like mourning cloak, which, in turn, has an impact on the species that feed on them.