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.
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 313 - 336 of 8275 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 04, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 02, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: Jenic7
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: kwanseumbosal
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 29, 2023
Observation date: Apr 17, 2023
Submitted by: Stephen Craig
Region: Christian County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 29, 2023
Observation date: Jun 21, 2023
Submitted by: rtsmith
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 28, 2023
Observation date: Jul 07, 2022
Submitted by: John429
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Jun 24, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 24, 2023
Observation date: Jun 24, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 24, 2023
Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 09, 2023
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 11, 2023
Submitted by: delightfuldorie
Region: Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 14, 2023
Observation date: Jun 12, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 13, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: Keith Myrom
Region: Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Grant County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
Observation date: Jun 09, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 06, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 08, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 14 of 345
- next ›