Speyeria cybele letona

Passos & Grey, 1945

Great Spangled Fritillary (western subspecies)

Speyeria cybele letona is a western North American of the great spangled fritillary, a large with a wingspan of 2.25 to 4 inches. Research on Speyeria cybele indicates that visual perception is the primary sense used for navigation to suitable patches, with individuals capable of detecting and navigating to target islands from distances up to 60 meters. The subspecies exhibits the orange-brown coloration typical of western of this , in contrast to the more orange eastern populations.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Speyeria cybele letona: /ˈspaɪəˌriːə ˈsɪbəˌliː lɛˈtoʊnə/

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

Identification

Western of Speyeria cybele, including S. c. letona, are browner in overall coloration compared to the more orange eastern populations. All great spangled fritillaries share silvery spots on the undersides of their wings. Females are slightly darker than males. The S. c. letona is distinguished from other S. cybele subspecies by geographic distribution in the western portion of the range.

Habitat

Open including meadows, pastures, and prairies. Habitat patches are detected visually from considerable distances, with successful navigation documented over water (unsuitable habitat) to reach suitable island habitats.

Distribution

Western North America. Documented from Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan in Canada, and present in the western United States including northern California. The occurs where the overall range extends as far south as central California in the west.

Seasonality

emerge in early summer, with males emerging slightly before females. Males 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 (Viola), hiding among fallen leaves near plants. feed on nectar from a wide range of flowers including milkweeds, thistles, and ironweed.

Host Associations

  • Viola - larval plantFemales lay on or near clumps of violets; larvae feed on fresh violet leaves after emerging from hibernation in spring

Life Cycle

Females lay on or near violet clumps in August or September. Larvae hatch and crawl to nearby violet plants, hide among fallen leaves, and hibernate through winter. In spring, caterpillars emerge from hibernation, feed on fresh violet leaves, then form a chrysalis and transform into . Single brooded with one per year.

Behavior

Strong and fast fliers. Visual navigation to patches is highly developed; flash-blinded individuals show dramatically reduced ability to locate suitable habitat even at close range (20 meters), while unflashed individuals navigate successfully from up to 60 meters. Navigation success decreases with distance from target habitat.

Ecological Role

of summer and autumn flowering plants. Larval herbivore on violet .

Human Relevance

Featured on a 2014 United States Postal Service 70-cent postage stamp as part of the surcharge rate stamp series. Subject of navigation research demonstrating primary reliance on visual cues for detection.

Similar Taxa

  • Speyeria atlantisSimilar orange and black coloration; distinguished by distribution and subtle morphological differences. S. atlantis showed lower navigation success rates in experimental studies compared to S. cybele.
  • Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary)Similar orange and black warning coloration; distinguished by smaller size, multiple per year, and more southern/migratory in northern parts of range.
  • Speyeria cybele cybeleEastern ; distinguished by more orange overall coloration versus browner western including S. c. letona.

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