Mourning Cloak vs Noctule

Nymphalis antiopa compared with Nyctalus noctula

Key Differences

• Mourning Cloak is Critically Endangered while Noctule is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Mourning Cloak	Noctule
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Nymphalis	Nyctalus
Species	Nymphalis antiopa	Nyctalus noctula

Evolutionary Relationship

Mourning Cloak and Noctule share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Mourning Cloak

CR — Critically Endangered

Noctule

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Mourning Cloak	Noctule
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Mourning Cloak

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 9 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Noctule

Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine