The Mourning Cloak was first identified in 1748 in Camberwell, England. Today the butterfly is still called the Camberwell Beauty in the United Kingdom.
According to a Florida IFAS Extension publication, Mourning Cloak caterpillars were first seen in Florida in 2011 in the vicinity of Gainesville. Not only was this the first observation of breeding Mourning Cloaks in Florida, but it was also the first documented case of caterpillars feeding on Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata).
