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 505 - 528 of 8276 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 09, 2017
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2018
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 28, 2019
Submitted by: Kwtracey
Region: Charles County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Jun 09, 2019
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: cmcelwee
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 18, 2019
Submitted by: Amy Bland
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Jun 11, 2021
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Oct 30, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2006
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jun 23, 2019
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 29, 2015
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 29, 2015
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 22, 2020
Submitted by: Trulyjoe
Region: Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2020
Submitted by: Julburl
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 25, 2021
Submitted by: wheel03@verizon.net
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: joep01
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: Allegria
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Sep 14, 2021
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 09, 2021
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Oct 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 25, 2021
Submitted by: Nickajacket
Region: Cobb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 24, 2021
Submitted by: BMcNaught
Region: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 23, 2021
Observation date: May 12, 2012
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Marion County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 22, 2021
Observation date: May 21, 2012
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Marion County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 22, 2021
Observation date: Sep 17, 2021
Submitted by: catherine
Region: Cayuga County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 21, 2021
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