The Great Spangled Fritillary is a large, striking butterfly with the classic orange and black fritillary pattern on the upper side of its wings. The underside of the hind wings is pale brown with prominent silvery spots—“spangles”—that give the species its name. A broad yellow-orange band between these silver spots helps distinguish it from other fritillaries. This butterfly is often found in sunny meadows, open woodlands, and gardens where violets, its host plants, grow. It is a strong flyer and an avid nectar feeder, frequently visiting milkweed, coneflower, and other summer-blooming native wildflowers.

 

“Great Spangled Fritillary” by Frank D. Lospalluto, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Great Spangled Fritillary Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Heliconiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 2 1/2 – 4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Open, moist places including fields, valleys, pastures, meadows, open woodland, and prairies.

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where Great Spangled Fritillary females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Violets (Viola spp.)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies feed on nectar from the following native flowers:

• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

• Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)

• Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.)

• Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

• Thistles (Cirsium spp.)

• Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)