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 457 - 480 of 8275 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 16, 2022
Submitted by: Lisa H
Region: Ottawa County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 17, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2022
Submitted by: lmreid71
Region: Boone County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 17, 2022
Observation date: Jun 15, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2022
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Watauga County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2016
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: Wmaham
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 1981
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Reno County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 30, 2022
Observation date: May 18, 2022
Submitted by: Egabbard
Region: Whitley County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 18, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2020
Submitted by: luclemieux
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 04, 2022
Observation date: Aug 11, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 11, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Mora County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2017
Submitted by: GMSchneider
Region: Greene County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: RLBatez
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: jim metzner
Region: Ulster County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: jim metzner
Region: Ulster County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2019
Submitted by: Tobylauren
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2021
Submitted by: Mercedes-Fletcher
Region: Columbiana County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 04, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2021
Submitted by: Tcurry52
Region: Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2021
Submitted by: Tcurry52
Region: Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2020
Submitted by: jollygoodyellow
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Sep 15, 2017
Submitted by: rhchad01
Region: Franklin County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: Peg Serani
Region: Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: Peg Serani
Region: Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
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