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 1 - 24 of 8306 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 12, 2026
Submitted by: Melinda Bell
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 12, 2026
Observation date: Jul 10, 2026
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 11, 2026
Observation date: Jul 04, 2026
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jul 10, 2026
Observation date: Jul 07, 2026
Submitted by: EJones
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 09, 2026
Observation date: Jul 01, 2026
Submitted by: Rgilson
Region: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 08, 2026
Observation date: Jun 29, 2026
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2026
Observation date: Jun 24, 2026
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2026
Observation date: Jun 29, 2026
Submitted by: melinamtopp
Region: Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2026
Observation date: Jun 27, 2026
Submitted by: tedzimmerman
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 29, 2026
Observation date: Jun 29, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 29, 2026
Observation date: Jun 28, 2026
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 28, 2026
Observation date: Jun 22, 2026
Submitted by: drifter423
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 28, 2026
Observation date: Jul 07, 2024
Submitted by: Tam Stage
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2026
Observation date: Jun 24, 2026
Submitted by: jslater89
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 25, 2026
Observation date: Jun 19, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 23, 2026
Observation date: Jun 18, 2026
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Franklin County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 18, 2026
Observation date: Jun 12, 2026
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 15, 2026
Observation date: Jun 14, 2026
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 15, 2026
Observation date: Jun 12, 2026
Submitted by: jkarthei
Region: Jackson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 14, 2026
Observation date: Jun 13, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 13, 2026
Observation date: Jun 09, 2026
Submitted by: michelle.b
Region: Chatham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 10, 2026
Observation date: May 23, 2026
Submitted by: jkarthei
Region: Morgan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 08, 2026
Observation date: Jun 07, 2026
Submitted by: indigobirding
Region: Monroe County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 08, 2026
Observation date: Jun 06, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 06, 2026
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