Regal Fritillary
Speyeria idalia (Drury, 1773)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Large. Upperside of forewing bright red-orange with black markings. Upperside of hindwing black with postmedian row of white spots; submarginal row of spots is orange in male and white in female.
Wing Span: 2 5/8 - 4 1/8 inches (6.7 - 10.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females with a low, steady flight. Females walk through vegetation to lay single eggs on various plants, even if the host violets are not present. Most eggs are laid in August. The caterpillars hatch and overwinter unfed; in spring they eat leaves of host plants.
Flight: One brood from mid-June to mid-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Violets including bird\'s foot violet (Viola pedata).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of milkweeds, thistles, red clover, and mountain mint.
Habitat: Tall-grass prairie and other open sites including damp meadows, marshes, wet fields, and mountain pastures.
Range: Tall-grass prairie remnants in Montana and North Dakota south to Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma; rare or absent from former range east of the Appalachians.
Conservation: Rapidly vanishing or declining in much of its range. A species of concern for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. All populations should be conserved.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: Monitor populations and manage populations on public lands and preserves.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 829 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 06, 2012
Submitted by: West_Chris
Region: Brookings County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 26, 2015
Observation date: Jul 22, 2013
Submitted by: West_Chris
Region: Brookings County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 26, 2015
Observation date: Sep 20, 2014
Submitted by: WendyJG
Region: Lee County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 28, 2014
Observation date: Jul 11, 2014
Submitted by: digginflowers
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2014
Observation date: Aug 10, 2013
Submitted by: pfenster
Region: Morton County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: ron.royer
Verified date: Feb 19, 2014
Observation date: Jul 20, 2013
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Linn County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: nathanbrockman
Verified date: Feb 06, 2014
Observation date: Jul 17, 2004
Submitted by: Dave Rintoul
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 17, 2013
Observation date: Jul 11, 2013
Submitted by: James Fox
Region: Newton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 12, 2013
Observation date: Jul 25, 2010
Submitted by: WestCoastLady
Region: Custer County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 10, 2013
Observation date: Jul 27, 2012
Submitted by: Brett Budach
Region: Johnson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 05, 2013
Observation date: Jul 01, 2012
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Jackson County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 09, 2013
Observation date: Jul 26, 2008
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Mills County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: Dennis Schlicht
Verified date: Feb 03, 2013
Observation date: Aug 23, 2008
Submitted by: Prairie Wetland...
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 14, 2012
Observation date: Jul 11, 2011
Submitted by: owenmcm
Region: Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 12, 2011
Observation date: Jun 09, 2011
Submitted by: dswelfelt
Region: McPherson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jim.mason
Verified date: Jul 12, 2011
Observation date: Jun 08, 2011
Submitted by: MrLiZarD
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jim.mason
Verified date: Jul 12, 2011
Observation date: Jun 25, 2011
Submitted by: JAHAR
Region: St. Clair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Jul 11, 2011
Observation date: Jun 05, 2011
Submitted by: Steve Craig
Region: Barton County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Jul 03, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Remington)
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1942
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1929
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: New London County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1906
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Britton)
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1961
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Hessel)