Speyeria callippe

(Boisduval, 1852)

callippe fritillary

Species Guides

10

Speyeria callippe, the callippe fritillary, is a North American in the Nymphalidae. It is a large, with a wingspan of 5–6.4 cm. are active from May to August and exhibit strong in timing, with females emerging before males. The species has a close ecological relationship with violets (Viola spp.), which serve as the sole larval plants.

Callippe Fritillary (14612252104) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.Callippe Fritillary? (14422034618) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.Callippe Silverspot Butterfly 2 (8739703688) by Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Speyeria callippe: /ˈspaɪəriə kəˈlɪpi/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from other Speyeria by the approximately twenty-two large silvered spots on the hindwing underside and the triangular silver submarginal spots with narrow brown edges. The combination of large size, red-brown upperside with black zigzag stripes, and distinctive silver spotting pattern on the hindwing underside separates it from similar fritillaries. Speyeria callippe hagemani, named for collector Chuck Hageman, occurs in the Sierra Nevada region of California.

Images

Habitat

Sagebrush, dry woodland, forest edges, chaparral, and grassy hillsides. Occupies open to semi-open with suitable violet plants.

Distribution

North America: central British Columbia east to South Dakota and Manitoba, south to southern California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Canadian provinces: Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.

Seasonality

. fly from May to August. Males patrol for females, which emerge before males.

Diet

Larvae feed on leaves of Viola pedunculata, Viola nuttallii, Viola beckwithii, Viola douglasii, and Viola purpurea. have been observed feeding on nectar, though specific floral records for this are not documented in available sources.

Host Associations

  • Viola pedunculata - larval
  • Viola nuttallii - larval
  • Viola beckwithii - larval
  • Viola douglasii - larval
  • Viola purpurea - larval

Life Cycle

. laid in litter near plants. Unfed first-instar caterpillars overwinter until spring, then feed on violet leaves. and occur the following growing season. Males emerge after females and patrol for mates.

Behavior

Males patrol for females. capable of navigation to suitable patches using primarily visual cues, based on research on congeneric Speyeria cybele and Speyeria atlantis. Flash-induced blindness in related species significantly impairs habitat detection even at short distances, suggesting vision is the primary sensory modality for interpatch movement.

Ecological Role

Larval herbivore on Viola . . Member of fritillary guild in western North American grassland and woodland .

Human Relevance

S. c. hagemani named in honor of collector Chuck Hageman for his contributions to California research. Specimens deposited at Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Similar Taxa

  • Speyeria cybeleSimilar large size and silver-spotted hindwing underside; distinguished by distribution (more eastern and northern) and subtle differences in spotting pattern
  • Speyeria atlantisSimilar preferences and western distribution; distinguished by wing pattern details and geographic range overlap
  • Euptoieta claudiaSimilar orange and black coloration but smaller, with more erratic pattern and different larval plants (including Passiflora and Portulaca)

More Details

Subspecies

Speyeria callippe hagemani was described from the Sierra Nevada region of California and named for Charles 'Chuck' Hageman (1945–2021), a prominent Northern California lepidopterist who donated extensive collections to multiple museums including UC Davis Bohart Museum and University of Florida McGuire Center.

Sources and further reading