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 697 - 720 of 8315 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 02, 2020
Submitted by: SwallowTrail
Region: Washburn County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: AMRaab
Region: Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 06, 2015
Submitted by: Wade Wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Jack Connor
Verified date: Feb 17, 2021
Observation date: Sep 06, 2014
Submitted by: schmev24
Region: Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 14, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2019
Submitted by: gbw
Region: Cook County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 23, 2021
Observation date: Sep 05, 2020
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 12, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: Cheryl-Williams...
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 12, 2021
Observation date: Sep 03, 2019
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 11, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2017
Submitted by: Donna Millar
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2015
Submitted by: Alexander020706
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 10, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2017
Submitted by: davek
Region: Madison County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 04, 2017
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2017
Submitted by: Donna Millar
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: Lauenstein
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 22, 2017
Submitted by: kdj461
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2020
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Scioto County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 24, 2018
Submitted by: Jim_Gant777
Region: Prince William County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2018
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Bristol, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2017
Submitted by: Donna Millar
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 26, 2018
Submitted by: Jim_Gant777
Region: Prince William County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2017
Submitted by: krobra
Region: Prince William County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2018
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: Oct 03, 2018
Submitted by: Amanda Dorton
Region: Buchanan County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
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