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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 873 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: Newton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 15, 2019
Observation date: Jun 19, 2019
Submitted by: Jill Haukos
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 20, 2019
Observation date: Jul 02, 2016
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 02, 2019
Observation date: Jul 03, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 26, 2019
Observation date: Aug 30, 2018
Submitted by: L Reid
Region: Wabasha County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 19, 2018
Observation date: Aug 06, 2018
Submitted by: West_Chris
Region: Brookings County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 07, 2018
Observation date: Jul 06, 2018
Submitted by: Tim Johnson
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 13, 2018
Observation date: Jul 03, 2018
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Day County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 09, 2018
Observation date: Jul 04, 2018
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Day County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 09, 2018
Observation date: Jun 24, 2018
Submitted by: ursgeiser
Region: Lee County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2018
Observation date: Jun 24, 2018
Submitted by: ursgeiser
Region: Lee County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2018
Observation date: Jun 17, 2018
Submitted by: Stephen82
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 18, 2018
Observation date: Jun 12, 2018
Submitted by: Jill Haukos
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 12, 2018
Observation date: Sep 07, 2017
Submitted by: Kaliki73
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: kking216
Verified date: Sep 18, 2017
Observation date: Jun 15, 2017
Submitted by: Jill Haukos
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 19, 2017
Observation date: Jul 01, 2015
Submitted by: kking216
Region: Hall County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: kking216
Verified date: May 30, 2016
Observation date: Jul 11, 2015
Submitted by: Quaker state mothing
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 25, 2015
Observation date: Aug 02, 2015
Submitted by: Doug Backlund
Region: Custer County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 11, 2015
Observation date: Jun 07, 2015
Submitted by: Brett Budach
Region: Pettis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Jun 15, 2015
Observation date: Aug 23, 2013
Submitted by: West_Chris
Region: Brookings County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 02, 2015
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
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