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 73 - 96 of 8171 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 03, 2024
Submitted by: courtgwalsh
Region: Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: Jul 21, 2016
Submitted by: RNeilson
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: Jun 30, 2024
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: MissaOwl
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 27, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 01, 2024
Observation date: Jun 30, 2024
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 28, 2024
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: bystrk
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 29, 2024
Observation date: Jun 26, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 28, 2024
Observation date: Jun 26, 2024
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 28, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 25, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 25, 2024
Observation date: Jun 19, 2024
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Jun 24, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 24, 2024
Observation date: Jun 23, 2024
Submitted by: skageyama
Region: Houston County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 23, 2024
Observation date: Jun 22, 2024
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 23, 2024
Observation date: Jun 22, 2024
Submitted by: Kristylardomita
Region: Geauga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 22, 2024
Observation date: Jun 20, 2024
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 21, 2024
Observation date: Jun 15, 2024
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
Observation date: Jun 16, 2024
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
Observation date: Jun 15, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 16, 2024
Observation date: Jun 15, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 16, 2024
Observation date: Jun 08, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Wiseman
Region: Champaign County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 13, 2024
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