×
BugFinder Insects by State Spiders Butterflies & Moths Bees, Ants, & Wasps Beetles All Bugs Videos (YouTube)

Aphrodite Fritillary Butterfly (Speyeria aphrodite)


Detailing the physical features, habits, territorial reach and other identifying qualities of the Aphrodite Fritillary Butterfly


Loading SVG image placeholder
1/3
Image Credit: Aaron Carlson from Menomonie, WI, USA [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
Full-sized image of the Aphrodite-Fritillary-Butterfly Thumbnail image of the Aphrodite-Fritillary-Butterfly
2/3
Image Credit: Camille T., taken in Angel Fire, NM
Full-sized image #2 of the Aphrodite-Fritillary-Butterfly Thumbnail image #2 of the Aphrodite-Fritillary-Butterfly
3/3
Image Credit: Camille T., taken in Angel Fire, NM
Full-sized image #3 of the Aphrodite-Fritillary-Butterfly Thumbnail image #3 of the Aphrodite-Fritillary-Butterfly

A garden filled with violets, milkweed and thistles will tempt an Aphrodite Fritillary in any stage of life while keeping future generations interested for years to come.



Updated: 01/17/2022; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, pleasure and beauty. The Aphrodite Fritillary is a lovely summertime butterfly that produces one brood each year. It has many close relatives that look very similar to it making identification somewhat of a challenge. To complicate things, males and females are different sizes, and hues vary in different regions of the continent. The yellow-green eyes of the Aphrodite Fritillary offer a fast way to eliminate almost all relatives. The Great Spangled Fritillary and Atlantis Fritillary share Aphrodite's range and also have yellow-green eyes, but they are much larger and smaller (respectively) than the medium-sized Aphrodite.

Males Aphrodite Fritillary Butterflies are smaller than females, and may have a two week head start in life. They actively search for females during warm parts of the day. After mating, females can be seen walking on the ground near violets where they lay fertilized eggs at a rate of about one per plant. The caterpillar that hatches from these eggs eats the leaves off many types of violets in late summer. Its body is black and segments are studded with long rows of bristles from head to rear. These bristles may be black or yellow. It retreats in a shelter of leaves for the winter and emerges again in the spring when violets begin growing. They will pupate for two to three weeks in early summer.

Adults are mostly orange with black markings on the tops of the wings. Light brown hairs cover the body and extend over the base of the wings. The underside of the wings is light brown with a lighter border at the bottom edge. It is covered with various sizes of white spots. They can be seen drinking nectar from a variety of wildflowers. Milkweed, dogbane, thistle, and Joe Pye weed are popular flowering plants that feed adults. Meadows, fields, woods, marshes, bogs, prairies and barren land are all home to the Aphrodite Fritillary. Various elevations also suit this species, so high ranges and mountains are also comfortable habitats for this butterfly.©InsectIdentification.org


Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.InsectIdentification.org. It is the product of hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, educators, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at InsectIdentification AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.


General Characteristics


Capability, Shape, Texture/Pattern, Benefits, Dangers
Flying insect icon
Helpful insect icon
Patterned insect icon


Taxonomic Hierarchy


Species Breakdown
Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Arthropoda
    Class: Insecta
      Order: Lepidoptera
        Family: Nymphalidae
View More
          Genus: Speyeria
View More
            Species: aphrodite

Identifying Information


Size, Colors, Features
Scientific Name: Speyeria aphrodite
Category: Butterfly or Moth
Size (Adult; Length): 55mm to 80mm (2.16" to 3.14")
Colorwheel Graphic Colors: orange; black; white; silver
Descriptors: flying; helpful; spotted


Relative Size Comparison


Typical Size Between 55mm (2.2in) and 80mm (3.1in)
Lo: 55mm
Md: 67.5mm
Hi: 80mm

Territorial Map*


U.S., Canada, and Mexico
State of Alabama graphic
State of Arizona graphic
State of Arkansas graphic
State of California graphic
State of Colorado graphic
State of Delware graphic
State of Florida graphic
State of Georgia graphic
State of Idaho graphic
State of Illinois graphic
State of Indiana graphic
State of Iowa graphic
State of Kansas graphic
State of Kentucky graphic
State of Louisiana graphic
State of Maine graphic
State of Maryland graphic
State of Michigan graphic
State of Minnesota graphic
State of Mississippi graphic
State of Missouri graphic
State of Montana graphic
State of Nebraska graphic
State of Nevada graphic
State of New England graphic
State of New Jersey graphic
State of New Mexico graphic
State of New York graphic
State of North Carolina graphic
State of North Dakota graphic
State of Ohio graphic
State of Oklahoma graphic
State of Oregon graphic
State of Pennsylvania graphic
State of South Carolina graphic
State of South Dakota graphic
State of Tennessee graphic
State of Texas graphic
State of Utah graphic
State of Virginia graphic
State of Washington graphic
State of West Virginia graphic
State of Wisconsin graphic
State of Wyoming graphic
Canadian territory of Alberta graphic
Canadian territory of British Columbia graphic
Canadian territory of Manitoba graphic
Canadian territory of New Brunswick graphic
Canadian territory of Newfoundland and Labrador graphic
Canadian territory of Ontario graphic
Canadian territory of Quebec graphic
Canadian territory of Saskatchewan graphic
Territory map graphic of the country of Mexico
Contiguous United States shape map layer graphic
Alaska  
Hawaii  
Prince Edward Is.  
* MAP NOTES: The territorial heat map above showcases (in red) the states and territories of North America where the Aphrodite Fritillary Butterfly may be found (but is not limited to). This sort of data is useful when attempting to see concentrations of particular species across the continent as well as revealing possible migratory patterns over a species' given lifespan. Some insects are naturally confined by environment, weather, mating habits, food resources and the like while others see widespread expansion across most, or all, of North America. States/Territories shown above are a general indicator of areas inhabited by the Aphrodite Fritillary Butterfly. Insects generally go where they please, typically driven by diet, environmental changes, and / or mating habits.

Similar Insects



Similar insects to the Aphrodite Fritillary Butterfly that are associated with or commonly mistaken for...

Site Disclaimer  |  Privacy Policy  |  Cookies  |  Sitemap
Beetle Identification Butterfly Identification Caterpillar Identification Spider ID Fungal Infections on Insects Nursery Web Spider Official State Insects Termite Basics Insect Molting Process Bugs of Tennessee House Centipede JoroSpider.org

2024 www.InsectIdentification.org • Content ©2006-2024 InsectIdentification.org • All Rights Reserved. The InsectIdentification.org logo, its written content, and watermarked photographs/imagery are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and is protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. Material presented throughout this website is for entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for scientific research or medical advice (regarding bites, etc...).Please consult licensed, degreed professionals for such information. By submitting images to us (InsectIdentification.org) you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Site Disclaimer as it pertains to "User-Submitted Content". Images in JPG format are preferred with a minimum horizontal dimension of 1000px if possible. When emailing please include your location and the general estimated size of the specimen in question if possible. Please direct all inquiries and comments to insectidentification AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

©2024 www.InsectIdentification.org • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2006-2024 (18yrs)