Speyeria cybele

Identifying Features

The great spangled fritillary has a 2-4" wingspan. It is a tan-orange color with black. It has silver spots on the underside of the hindwing. Females are darker in color than the males.

Habitat & Range

They live in open and wet areas across the United States and Southern Canada.

Behavior

Adults feed from a variety of flowers including milkweeds, thistles, vetches, red clover, and coneflower.

Life Cycle

Great spangled fritillary eggs hatch, and the larvae overwinter before becoming active in the spring. They’re nocturnal and eat at night, going through six larval stages before turning into a chrysalis.

Adults are diurnal and lay eggs in late summer and early fall.

Featured image by James Dake