Bug FAQRegal Fritillary
Speyeria idalia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
The regal fritillary is a deep orange butterfly with dark hindwings that have two bands of spots; females have white spots in both bands while males have orange in the outer band. It lives in tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies of the east-central United States and flies from June through September. Larvae eat violet leaves and adults sip nectar from a variety of flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Deep orange wings with dark hindwings that show two rows of spots; females have white spots in both rows, males have orange in the outer row.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from about 68 mm to 105 mm (2.7 to 4.1 in).
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Limited, carefully monitored use of herbicides and pesticides is acceptable, especially when managing invasive plants in prairie habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies of the east-central United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on violet species (Viola spp.). Adults drink nectar from many flowering plants, and nectar availability influences where populations can persist.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Newly hatched larvae are about 0.08 in long and grow to roughly 1.75 in when fully developed.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from June to September and fly close to the ground.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to the east-central United States where it inhabits prairie ecosystems.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
What do regal fritillary caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars feed on violet plants (Viola species).
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult regal fritillaries?
Adults fly from June through September, staying close to the ground.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are regal fritillary butterflies?
Their wingspan is typically between 68 mm and 105 mm (about 2.7 to 4.1 in).
Source: Wikipedia
How should I manage prairie areas to protect or control regal fritillaries?
Use herbicides and pesticides sparingly and only when necessary, monitoring their impact closely.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regal_fritillary
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.