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 25 - 48 of 8271 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 25, 2025
Submitted by: DDethlef
Region: Archuleta County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 31, 2025
Observation date: Aug 30, 2025
Submitted by: atrebla
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 31, 2025
Observation date: Aug 28, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 23, 2025
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 22, 2025
Submitted by: lalondesa
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2025
Submitted by: dnight30
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 23, 2025
Observation date: Aug 23, 2025
Submitted by: leskokid
Region: Monroe County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 23, 2025
Observation date: Jul 07, 2025
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2025
Observation date: Aug 08, 2025
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2025
Observation date: Aug 16, 2025
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Jul 22, 2010
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 15, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 17, 2025
Observation date: Aug 02, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 16, 2025
Observation date: Jun 10, 2016
Submitted by: beverlynantz
Region: Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 12, 2025
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Ontario County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 08, 2025
Submitted by: yeraunt
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 08, 2025
Observation date: Aug 04, 2025
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 06, 2025
Observation date: Aug 04, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 05, 2025
Observation date: Jul 18, 2025
Submitted by: SweetMama70
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
Observation date: Jul 05, 2025
Submitted by: StubbsMackenzie
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
Observation date: Jul 30, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: Razzlefish
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 27, 2025
Observation date: Jul 23, 2025
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 24, 2025
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