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 529 - 552 of 8276 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 27, 2021
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 21, 2021
Observation date: Sep 17, 2021
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: St. Lawrence County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 21, 2021
Observation date: Aug 10, 2021
Submitted by: Possumtale
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: hollyhoitink
Region: Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
Observation date: Aug 26, 2021
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 18, 2021
Observation date: Sep 12, 2021
Submitted by: Ida'Pope
Region: Gasconade County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 13, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2021
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2021
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 25, 2021
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 06, 2021
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 06, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 21, 2021
Submitted by: Wildspiritart
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 29, 2021
Submitted by: heinert
Region: Morton County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 04, 2021
Observation date: Sep 02, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 24, 2021
Submitted by: greggra
Region: Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 01, 2021
Submitted by: Marian Listwak
Region: Lapeer County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: Nadine 1664
Region: Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 01, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 30, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2021
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 28, 2021
Observation date: Aug 25, 2021
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2021
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 25, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2021
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 24, 2021
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