Summary ³

The Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.

General description ⁴

Our largest fritillary, usually with a wingspan over 65 mm. Unlike some of the other fritillaries, cybele is relatively easy to distinguish by the contrasty, dark basal half of the dorsal hindwing; the basal dark area is smaller and more diffuse in other Speyeria. Cybele also lacks the black, angled spot nearest the anal margin on the dorsal forewing base. Two well-defined subspecies occur in Alberta, pseudocarpenteri inhabiting the parkland and northern prairies, and leto of the southern foothills and prairies. Leto has brighter orange males with smaller upperside dark markings and striking, straw and charcoal females.

Distribution ⁵

Southern BC and central Alberta east across southern Canada and the central US to the Atlantic seaboard (Scott 1986). A disjunct population in the Peace River region of AB / BC is the northernmost in North America.

Habitat ⁶

Aspen parkland, shrubby prairie coulees, open woods of the fotthills and southern boreal.

Migration ⁷

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Flowering plants visited by speyeria cybele in illinois ⁸

Speyeria cybele Fabricius: Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera
(observations are from Robertson, Graenicher, Clinebell, Hapeman, Larson & Barrett, Broyles & Wyatt, and Lovell; this butterfly is the Great Spangled Fritillary)

Apiaceae: Cicuta maculata sn (Rb); Apocynaceae: Apocynum cannabinum plab sn; Araliaceae: Aralia racemosa sn (Lvl); Asclepiadaceae: Asclepias exaltata plup sn, Asclepias incarnata plpr sn, Asclepias purpurascens plpr sn fq, Asclepias sullivanti plpr sn, Asclepias syriaca plpr sn, Asclepias tuberosa plpr sn, Asclepias verticillata plab sn; Asteraceae: Arctium lappa sn (Gr), Bidens aristosa sn (Rb), Cirsium altissimum sn (Rb, Gr), Cirisum discolor sn (Rb), Cirsium hillii sn fq (Rb), Cirsium vulgare sn (Gr), Coreopsis palmata sn (Rb), Echinacea pallida sn (Cl), Echinacea purpurea sn (Rb, Cl), Echinacea simulata sn (Cl), Eupatoriadelphus purpureus sn (Gr), Eupatorium serotinum sn (Rb), Helianthus annuus sn (Rb), Helianthus grosseserratus sn (Rb), Helianthus strumosus sn (Gr), Heliopsis helianthoides sn (Gr), Liatris pycnostachya sn (Rb, Cl), Liatris spicata sn (Gr), Rudbeckia hirta sn (Rb), Rudbeckia laciniata sn (Gr), Solidago juncea sn (Gr), Vernonia fasciculata sn (Rb); Caprifoliaceae: Symphoricarpos occidentalis sn (Gr); Cornaceae: Cornus obliqua sn (Rb); Fabaceae: Trifolium pratense sn (Rb); Lamiaceae: Blephilia ciliata sn (Rb), Blephilia hirsuta sn (Rb), Monarda bradburiana sn (Rb), Monarda fistulosa sn fq (Rb, Re, Cl), Nepeta cataria sn (Rb), Pycnanthemum tenuifolium sn (Rb); Liliaceae: Lilium canadense sn (Gr), Lilium michiganense sn (Rb), Lilium philadelphicum sn fq (Gr); Melastomataceae: Rhexia virginica exp np (LBt); Orchidaceae: Platanthera peramoena sn (Hpm); Rubiaceae: Cephalanthus occidentalis sn (Rb); Verbenaceae: Verbena stricta sn (Rb)
Insect activities:
exp = explores the flower, but acquires neither nectar nor pollen
fq = frequent flower visitor (about 6 or more visits reported)
np = non-pollinating
sn = sucks nectar

Scientific observers:
(BW) = Broyles & Wyatt
(Cl) = Clinebell
(Gr) = S. Graenicher
(Hpm) = Jeffrey Hapeman
(LBt) = Larson & Barrett
(Rb) = Charles Robertson
(Re) = Catherine Reed

Behaviour ⁹

Males use pheromones to attract females. Visual cues are also used in mate recognition. Females use chemical cues to find a suitable host plant on which to lay eggs.

Communication Channels: visual ; chemical

Other Communication Modes: pheromones

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical

Conservation status ¹⁰

Not of concern.

Threats ¹¹

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/7457894@N04/3614894649
2. (c) jim_mckenzie, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5374085379_2e50b67d5f.jpg
3. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speyeria_cybele
4. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31889228
5. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31889227
6. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31889229
7. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28808944
8. (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/32782530
9. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31423745
10. (c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31889225
11. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28808937

More Info

• iNaturalist.ca taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants

Range Map

(c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

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