Great spangled fritillary
Speyeria cybele
Butterfly
The most common large fritillary across eastern North America, an orange-and-black butterfly of moist meadows and woodland edges whose larvae feed exclusively on violets (Viola spp.). It produces one generation a year with a distinctive life cycle: females lay eggs singly on or near violets in late summer, the caterpillars hatch but overwinter without feeding, then feed on the freshly emerging violet foliage in spring. Adults are generalist nectar feeders on a wide range of native and garden flowers, making violets the limiting habitat resource for supporting a breeding population.
Conservation
Secure (NatureServe global rank G5) and described by state agencies as the most common fritillary in eastern North America; no IUCN, Xerces Red List, or USFWS listing. Because larvae depend entirely on violets, undisturbed leaf litter and standing violet patches near the garden are the practical conservation actions rather than any listing-driven concern.
Plan for this species
Location-fit plant set for Chicago, IL: host and specialist plants first, then nectar, fruit, seed, foliage, and shelter plants that still fit the current and mid-century climate read.
1 essential relationship / 5 supporting plants
Host/specialist links: 1
Forage/pollination links: 5
Shelter links: 0
Relationship roles: 2
Common blue violet
Essential / Larval host plants
Anise hyssop
Supporting / Nectar plants
Blue vervain
Supporting / Nectar plants
Boneset
Supporting / Nectar plants
Canada lily
Supporting / Nectar plants
Great spangled fritillary is a documented visitor to native meadow lilies and overlaps this species in both range and flight period. Marked plausible rather than documented because the evidence is genus-level nectar visitation plus overlap, not a published record on Lilium canadense specifically.
Prairie ironweed
Supporting / Nectar plants
Fritillaries are frequent visitors to native Vernonia in moist meadows; listed as a plausible nectar visitor rather than a recorded specialist tie.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 1
Nectar plants · 7
Great spangled fritillary is a documented visitor to native meadow lilies and overlaps this species in both range and flight period. Marked plausible rather than documented because the evidence is genus-level nectar visitation plus overlap, not a published record on Lilium canadense specifically.
Fritillaries are frequent visitors to native Vernonia in moist meadows; listed as a plausible nectar visitor rather than a recorded specialist tie.
Range
Across much of North America from Alberta east to Nova Scotia, south to central California, New Mexico, central Arkansas, and northern Georgia; prime habitat is moist meadows and woodland edges.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/great-spangled-fritillary
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
BAMONA: Great spangled fritillary
Species profile for range, adult nectar use, one-generation lifecycle, and violet larval-host dependence.
MDC Field Guide: Great spangled fritillary
State agency species account used for identification detail, larval and adult food, and life-cycle timing. Missouri-scoped, so it is not cited for continental range.
Wikipedia: Speyeria cybele
Corroborating reference for violet hosts, secure status, and eastern fritillary context.
GBIF: Speyeria cybele
GBIF backbone key 1905172 is the accepted Nymphalidae species Speyeria cybele, an exact match.
iNaturalist: Argynnis cybele
iNaturalist taxon 1456562 places the cited Speyeria cybele in genus Argynnis as Argynnis cybele, the great spangled fritillary.