Great Spangled Fritillary (?) 'flocking' behavior on Butterfly Milkweed (Aesclepias tuberosa)...mating? feeding frenzy? - Speyeria cybele - BugGuide.Net

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Heliconians and Fritillaries (Heliconiinae) » Fritillaries (Argynnini) » Greater Fritillaries (Speyeria) » Great Spangled Fritillary - Hodges#4450 (Speyeria cybele) » Speyeria cybele cybele

Photo#527148

Copyright © 2011 Robert Wolfe

Great Spangled Fritillary (?) 'flocking' behavior on Butterfly Milkweed (Aesclepias tuberosa)...mating? feeding frenzy? - Speyeria cybele

Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve, Jackson County, Ohio, USA
June 25, 2008

Fifteen seconds earlier there were just five butterflies on this plant; ten seconds after this photo was taken, there were six. There were other plants of this species within a meter or two.

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Contributed by Robert Wolfe on 10 June, 2011 - 6:58pm
Last updated 12 June, 2011 - 1:06pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Corey Husic, 12 June, 2011 - 1:06pm

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all of the ones clearly visible

are male Great Spangled. There is one sliver of the underside of a front wing that not enough is showing to be sure, but what does show is a perfect match to the others.

As for behavior, they are just feeding. Either there are a lot of Fritillaries out, or there aren't many flowers around for them, so they are all gathered together on what is available. I used to see Aphrodite Frits gathered like this on Thistles on the Great Plains in ne. Colorado when I was a kid.

… David J. Ferguson, 11 June, 2011 - 7:07am

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Thanks, David

I knew that you'd be able to tell for sure!

… Kelly Fiegle, 11 June, 2011 - 7:35am

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Fritllaries

This is an amazing photo! I can't comment on their behavior, but I wanted to ask whether you've considered Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite) in addition to Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)? The reason I ask is that the cream-colored submarginal band on the hindwings seems narrow to me (the cream submarginal band is WIDE in the Great Spangled and NARROW in the Aphrodite). I'm not saying that they're NOT Great Spangled, just wondering whether you've ruled out the Aphrodite.

Great Spangled:........Aphrodite:

… Kelly Fiegle, 11 June, 2011 - 5:20am

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