Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)

Uncommon to common in the piedmont and mountains of NC, this species is much more common in the northern and western portions of its NC range. Although single brooded, this large, showy butterfly flies from May into October. This species ranges widely across North America. Scroll down for populations from the West.

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)

Alleghany Co., NC
1 July 2006

Great Spangled Fritillaries have a wide pale submarginal band, distinguishing them from Aphrodite Fritillary, which have a narrow pale submarginal band.

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Mt. Mitchell State Park, Yancey Co., NC
13 Sep 2008

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Person Co., NC
13 June 2006

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Watauga Co., NC
23 Aug 2016

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Ashe Co., NC
12 July 2008


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Orange Co., NC 6 June 2006	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Buncombe Co., NC 26 June 2004


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Orange Co., NC 6 June 2006	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Person Co., NC 13 June 2006

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Durham Co., NC
5 Oct 2014

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Orange Co., NC
26 May 2018

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Mayo River S.P., Rockingham Co., NC
6 Sep 2023

	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Person Co., NC 13 June 2006
	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Person Co., NC 13 June 2006

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Watauga Co., NC
27 June 2004

Here's a mix of Great Spangleds (mostly) enjoying a patch of knapweed at Moses Cone Park along the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC.


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Alleghany Co., NC 1 July 2006	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Yancey Co., NC 13 Sep 2008


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Allegan Co., MI 5 July 2004	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Buncombe Co., NC 26 June 2004


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 25 May 2007	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Rougemont, Orange Co., NC 16 May 2017

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Madison Co., NC
18 May 2023

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Wilkes Co., NC
23 May 2023


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Walker Knob, Buncombe Co., NC 13 July 2011

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Reveler Conservation Area, Stormont Co., Ontario
16 July 2018

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)

Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
28 May 2010

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
28 May 2010

	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 28 May 2010 Mated pair.
	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC 28 May 2010

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Orange Co., NC
5 June 2011

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Muscatatuck NWR, Jackson Co., IN
27 July 2015

In North America, this species is very widespread, ranging from coast to coast with many subspecies and much variation. Western populations have been treated as separate species (Leto Fritillary) and are much more sexually dimorphic with females being quite darker (see below).

#9333
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto)
Fresno Dome, Madera Co., CA
10 July 2007

		Males are quite orange with less strongly marked dorsal black spotting than most other Speyeria in the West. This species also has fewer silvered spots in the underhindwing.
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 17 July 2013	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 17 July 2013


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 17 July 2013	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 17 July 2013


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 15 July 2013	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 15 July 2013

		Females have a very dark brown disc on all wings.
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 17 July 2013	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 17 July 2013

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto)
Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT
17 July 2013

Unlike many species of Speyeria which have blue-gray eyes, Great Spangled Fritillaries have amber-colored eyes.


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 4 Sep 2013	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 4 Sep 2013


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 4 Sep 2013	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 19 Sep 2013


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 9 July 2014	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 9 July 2014


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 26 July 2014	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 26 July 2014


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 28 July 2014	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 28 July 2014


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 3 July 2014	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 7 Aug 2014


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Below Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 2 Aug 2014	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Woodchuck Creek, Missoula Co., MT 25 Aug 2014


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Woodchuck Creek, Missoula Co., MT 4 July 2015	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Davis Creek, Missoula Co., MT 1 July 2015


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Woodchuck Creek, Missoula Co., MT 4 July 2015	Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele leto) Near Condon, Missoula Co., MT 4 July 2015

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