Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly resting on Black Twinberry Honeysuckle – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I’m fairly confident with my North American bird ID abilities but when it comes to Fritillary butterfly species ID in the Wasatch Mountains I feel stymied a lot of the time. Yesterday I photographed this lovely Fritillary butterfly as it rested on a Black Twinberry Honeysuckle in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains and I took several images of it. To my eyes it looked smaller than the female Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies I have photographed and could positively ID but as a bird photographer and birder I know that size in the field can be deceiving.
I’ve researched what Fritillary butterflies are found in the Wasatch Mountains and came up with these:
- Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe harmonia)
- Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis snyderi)
- Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele letona)
- Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis utahensis)
- Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis wasatchia)
- Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene platina)
I think this Fritillary is Great Spangled Fritillary but I am not 100% certain.
I’ve tried using Bugguide.net for other butterfly and insect ID and haven’t found the site to be very helpful or quick. Last year I submitted a few Fritillary butterfly and Bee Fly images to their site that I had taken in the Wasatch and Stansbury Mountains and I still don’t have a definitive ID on those.
So, I’m wondering if any of the people who visit and read my blog have recommendations for an app similar to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin app where you can take a photo of a butterfly (or other insect), submit it and get instant suggestions on the ID? I know that apps like Merlin aren’t 100% accurate but they can be helpful in narrowing down the ID and they are fast.
This morning I am stumped on the ID of this butterfly.
Update August 20, 2019: I submitted this photo to iNaturalist.org and the consensus is that this is a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele letona) so I am updating the title of this post. It took a while to get the ID but I am grateful for it.
Life is good.
Mia
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One of the references I used: Wasatch Butterflies
Seems to me it must be a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. I’ve photographed many of these in South Brunswick New Jersey open woods. You’ve stated that the size throws you off. From what I see of the picture, that’s all it could be. Keep me informed of your findings. George Draney
Ahh Lowered my blood pressure right away with this most beautiful photo Mia!
I am with Marty here. As I so often am.
I am still working on plants, not ready to move on to butterflies……
I’m zero help with identification, but 100% with admiration. What a beautiful individual!
I cannot help you as I am no expert, but this butterfly is admirable for what perfect shape it is in.
I have Butterflies of North America, James A. Scott, along with several other books that give clearer picture ID’s than the pictures in Butterflies of NA. I compared your image with the names you provided and go along with Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis snyderi). Looks to me like your butterfly recently hatched because it is in such great shape! Great image!
Thanks for sharing.
I only recently chanced upon inaturalist.org, a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. I tried a couple of elementary butterfly and flower images, and it worked well.