Spotted Fritillary

Melitaea didyma · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae

Also called: Red-band Fritillary

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Spotted Fritillary
Photo: SteveM4560, CC BY

Its upper wings are bright orange-brown with variable dark brown markings, while the underside is a chequered pale yellow-orange.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The upper side shows bright orange-brown with rows of dark brown spots that vary in number and size. The underside is a chequered pattern of pale yellow and pale orange.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Adults have a wingspan ranging from 35 to 50 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It prefers flowery, grassy habitats such as meadows and roadside verges.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

The species produces two or three generations per year and overwinters as a young caterpillar.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

Melitaea didyma, known as the spotted or red-band fritillary, belongs to the Palearctic Nymphalidae family.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Spotted Fritillary photo 3
Photo: SteveM4560, CC BY
Spotted Fritillary photo 4
Photo: Céline, CC BY
Spotted Fritillary photo 5
Photo: SteveM4560, CC BY
Spotted Fritillary photo 6
Photo: Yves Bas, CC BY

Questions people ask

When can I see the spotted fritillary?

Adults fly from March through October, varying with local climate.

Source: Wikipedia

What size is the spotted fritillary?

Its wingspan is typically 35 to 50 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Nymphalidae)

MonarchMonarchDanaus plexippusRed AdmiralRed AdmiralVanessa atalantaPainted LadyPainted LadyVanessa carduiGulf FritillaryGulf FritillaryDione vanillaeSpeckled WoodSpeckled WoodPararge aegeriaEuropean Peacock ButterflyEuropean Peacock ButterflyAglais io

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melitaea_didyma

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

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