Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Large. Upperside of male tan to orange with black scales on forewing veins; female tawny, darker than male. Underside of hindwing with wide pale submarginal band and large silver spots.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 4 inches (6.3 - 10.1 cm).
Life History: Males patrol open areas for females. Eggs are laid in late summer on or near host violets. Newly-hatched caterpillars do not feed, but overwinter until spring, when they eat young violet leaves.
Flight: One brood from mid-June to mid-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various violet species (Viola).
Adult Food: Nectar from many species of flowers including milkweeds, thistles, ironweed, dogbane, mountain laurel, verbena, vetch, bergamot, red clover, joe-pye weed, and purple coneflower.
Habitat: Open, moist places including fields, valleys, pastures, right-of-ways, meadows, open woodland, prairies.
Range: Alberta east to Nova Scotia, south to central California, New Mexico, central Arkansas, and northern Georgia. Comments: The most common fritillary throughout most of the eastern United States.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 289 - 312 of 8275 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 13, 2023
Submitted by: Mastomy
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 14, 2023
Submitted by: Smccarthy
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 13, 2023
Submitted by: scsmith1957
Region: DeKalb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 07, 2017
Submitted by: katiefouse
Region: Carbon County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 07, 2017
Submitted by: katiefouse
Region: Carbon County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: Lpotter
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 16, 2023
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: Lynn Ferris
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 13, 2023
Submitted by: ETweedy
Region: Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 11, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 08, 2023
Submitted by: Julesanne
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2023
Observation date: Jul 07, 2023
Submitted by: MarkSCitsay
Region: Washington County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 06, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 06, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Harrison County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
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