great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.
FAMILY: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
SUBFAMILY: Longwings (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.
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.
WING SPAN: 2 1/2 - 4 inches (6.3 - 10.1 cm).
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.
NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally,
though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the
periphery.
MANAGEMENT NEEDS: None reported.
SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:
Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from
year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more
categories and may vary even during a single season.
Key to Checklist
A Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
at proper time of year.
C Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
at proper time of year.
U Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
usually in low numbers.
O Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
in low numbers.
R Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.
X Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.
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