Aphrodite Fritillary
Speyeria aphrodite (Fabricius, 1787)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Geographically variable. Upperside reddish orange-brown; male forewing with black spot below cell and with no black scales on veins. Underside of hindwing has pale submarginal band narrow or missing.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 1/4 inches (6.3 - 8.3 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females during warm hours. Females walk about on the ground to lay single eggs near violets. First-stage caterpillars do not feed, but overwinter until spring, when they eat young leaves of violets.
Flight: One brood from mid-June to mid-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various violet species including northern downy violet (Viola fimbriatula) and lance-leaved violet (V. lanceolata).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of milkweed and viper's bugloss, among others.
Habitat: Moist prairies, high mountain meadows, openings in barrens, brushland, dry fields, open oak woods, bogs.
Range: Canada south of the taiga from Nova Scotia west through the northern Midwest and Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains, then south in the mountains to east-central Arizona and northern New Mexico; south in the Appalachians to northern Georgia.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2224 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Sep 05, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: chneal
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Sep 01, 2022
Submitted by: Ian Pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: DJ Jones
Region: Manistee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 22, 2022
Submitted by: sagebird52
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Thom Garrett
Region: Missoula County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2022
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Sequatchie County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 02, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Yancey County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 11, 2022
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Wyoming County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2022
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2022
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: Merway
Region: Chemung County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 01, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Crowley
Region: Coos County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2022
Submitted by: Deaner414
Region: Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2022
Submitted by: calvertm
Region: Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 23, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2008
Submitted by: heinert
Region: Billings County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 09, 2022
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