Aphrodite Fritillary
Speyeria aphrodite (Fabricius, 1787)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Geographically variable. Upperside reddish orange-brown; male forewing with black spot below cell and with no black scales on veins. Underside of hindwing has pale submarginal band narrow or missing.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 1/4 inches (6.3 - 8.3 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females during warm hours. Females walk about on the ground to lay single eggs near violets. First-stage caterpillars do not feed, but overwinter until spring, when they eat young leaves of violets.
Flight: One brood from mid-June to mid-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various violet species including northern downy violet (Viola fimbriatula) and lance-leaved violet (V. lanceolata).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of milkweed and viper's bugloss, among others.
Habitat: Moist prairies, high mountain meadows, openings in barrens, brushland, dry fields, open oak woods, bogs.
Range: Canada south of the taiga from Nova Scotia west through the northern Midwest and Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains, then south in the mountains to east-central Arizona and northern New Mexico; south in the Appalachians to northern Georgia.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2264 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn3095_2024-08-01.jpg?itok=JtjpNbaC)
Observation date: Aug 01, 2024
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Preston County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 05, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/great_spangled_fritillary_3_at_edward_sargent_wma_near_chama_nm_on_7-26-2024-7260798.jpg?itok=d4mPeoC7)
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/aphrodite_fritillary_at_edward_sargent_wma_near_chama_nm_on_7-26-2024-7260561.jpg?itok=ajBeHIi4)
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1040053.jpeg?itok=IWYIyX8F)
Observation date: Jul 28, 2024
Submitted by: MomoButterfly
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 01, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1040020.jpeg?itok=zZKIcnux)
Observation date: Jul 28, 2024
Submitted by: MomoButterfly
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 01, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8390.jpeg?itok=C9NOsH5s)
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn0967_1.jpg?itok=dk6J-PBi)
Observation date: Jul 19, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn0802_1.jpg?itok=5QsePTKB)
Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_3790_1.jpg?itok=ob9dut19)
Observation date: Jul 08, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1644_1.jpeg?itok=GpjpGanR)
Observation date: Jul 13, 2024
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0397_8.jpg?itok=AFlDJFUk)
Observation date: Jul 07, 2024
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_3378.jpg?itok=BH6z-OR9)
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_3205_0.jpeg?itok=bxuUsvHs)
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: Gwiggins
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_3182.jpeg?itok=JdsLM7KX)
Observation date: Jun 30, 2024
Submitted by: Gwiggins
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1351lb_aphrodite_manitoba_fritillary_dorsal.jpg?itok=SGwlMG2F)
Observation date: Sep 03, 2017
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 24, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_6226-3.jpg?itok=X_xmJvfm)
Observation date: Jul 08, 2023
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/227_2782-a.jpg?itok=Mh0Z9xgu)
Observation date: Jun 10, 2005
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Jackson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/great_spangled_frit_4_1.jpg?itok=vmcl_EfY)
Observation date: Sep 17, 2023
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Nov 24, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0590aphroditefritillary.jpg?itok=OsDPujbM)
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: rbuist
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Sep 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn9287_-_copy_3_-_copy.jpg?itok=Z3Ig8_W9)
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/atlantis_fritillary_speyeria_atlantis_jtf_0388.jpg?itok=JcW_lM5e)
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p7250032_2023-07-25t21_09_59.251.jpg?itok=_VUPlNTd)
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: Thom Garrett
Region: Missoula County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/aphrodite_fritillary_a1_2_aug_2023_jackson_rd_savoy.jpg?itok=KnAMDloI)
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/great_spangled_fritillary_speyeria_cybele_jte_9927.jpg?itok=AiW_LjTn)
Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
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