Speyeria cybele charlottii

(Barnes, 1897)

Charlottesville great spangled fritillary

Speyeria cybele charlottii is a of the great spangled fritillary , distinguished from other S. cybele by geographic occurrence in the eastern United States. The parent is a large, orange and black butterfly with silvery spots on the undersides of its wings. are strong, fast fliers that nectar on a wide range of flowers. The subspecific name references Charlottesville, Virginia.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Speyeria cybele charlottii: //spaɪˈɪəriə saɪˈbɛli ˈʃɑrləˌtaɪ//

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

Identification

Distinguished from other Speyeria cybele primarily by geographic distribution in the eastern United States. Eastern of S. cybele are generally more orange in color compared to the browner western populations. Females are slightly darker than males. All great spangled fritillaries share the diagnostic silvery spots on the undersides of the wings.

Habitat

Open including meadows, pastures, and prairies. Associated with violet plants in shaded areas and landscape edges.

Distribution

Eastern United States. Distribution records include Vermont. The occurs in the eastern portion of the range, which extends from northern states south to northern Georgia in the east.

Seasonality

emerge in early summer, with males appearing slightly before females. Males typically die after mating in June or July. Females are long-lived for butterflies, often surviving into October. are laid in August or September. Larvae hatch and immediately enter hibernation, resuming feeding in spring.

Diet

Larvae feed exclusively on violet plants (Viola spp.), hiding among fallen leaves. nectar on a wide variety of flowers including milkweeds, thistles, ironweed, weed, dogbane, and red clover.

Host Associations

  • Viola - larval plant laid on or near violet clumps; larvae feed on violet leaves after emerging from hibernation

Life Cycle

Females lay on or near violet clumps in August or September. Newly hatched larvae crawl to nearby violet plants and hide among fallen leaves to hibernate through winter. In spring, caterpillars emerge from hibernation and feed on fresh violet leaves before pupating. emerge in early summer, with males appearing before females. After mating in June or July, males die while females may survive until October.

Behavior

Strong and fast fliers. Visual perception is the primary sense used for navigation to patches; flash blindness experiments demonstrate that impaired vision severely reduces navigation success even at short distances. visit flowers for nectar.

Ecological Role

of various flowering plants. Larvae serve as herbivores on violet . The orange and black coloration of is believed to serve as aposematic warning coloration to .

Human Relevance

Featured on United States Postal Service 70-cent stamp issued in 2014. Subject of navigation and visual perception research. Collected by butterfly enthusiasts and deposited in museum collections.

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