You lucky duck you, you've got a mourning cloak/Nymphalis antiopa!
I just love the looks of these butterflies, but they don't occur here. The burgundy coloration (in sunlight) with the golden edging is to die for!
Sherry

Wow, Thanks Sherry!

I have never seen one of these before, and I have lived in South Central PA since 1970.
I hope to see more of them and get some pics!

Thanks,
Mark

I googled Nymphalis antiopa and found out the host plants are Willows, Elms, and Hackberry trees.

When I googled Hackberry, I saw a pic of the tree that is growing in my neighbors yard, right on the border of my yard!

Hopefully I will be seeing ALOT more of these around.

Mark

Yep, definitely a Mourning Cloak. I've been seeing them the past few years. I'm in central PA and have no idea if I ever saw one before just a few years ago or not. Being that I just got into butterfly gardening in 2005, if I did happen to see some before that, they would have been just another butterfly to me back then. If a person isn't actually looking for something, I think it's hard for them to remember if they saw a particular species before or not. I think Mourning Cloaks are simply beautiful!
Cathy

Oh, and if your neighbor has a hackberry tree, maybe you'll also be seeing Hackberry Emperors, Tawny Emperors, Question Marks (I have those lay eggs on them here), and American Snouts. I keep watching here to see if I'll get any of those besides Mourning Cloaks (I've never had any lay on the small hackberry trees I have yet) and Question Marks. I love raising those Question Marks! I've also gotten (and started some from seed) various other trees with the butterflies in mind, like Wild Black Cherry, Black Willow, Paw Paw, Paper Birch, Tulip Poplar, and Wafer Ash.

Just before I started getting interested in butterflies, I had a guy here cutting trees because I was trying to get purple martins here (quit trying, as it's pointless), and I remember that one of the trees that he cut was a big old cherry tree. Back then one tree was pretty much the same as any other one to me, and I just wanted them cleared out of here to make an open area for those birds. In hindsight, I really wish that I hadn't gotten that particular one cut; it didn't really matter much about the other ones though. Most of them were linnwood, which are a dime a dozen here. I tried to somewhat make up for the removal of the cherry tree by planting four small cherry trees that I bought online. I'm thinking of also getting some seeds somewhere and starting some that way. I'll be gone by the time any of the trees get as big as that one was that was cut, but I'm hoping that whoever lives here after us will keep the trees there. I'm marking everything here with tags in the hopes that the people will realize that the trees mean something (maybe VERY wishful thinking there). I'd like to see all of my trees stay here, but I do sadly realize that some people exist who would rather see everything paved over than have to pick up branches and take of other plants.
Cathy