Speyeria aphrodite ( Fabricius, 1787 )

Dunford, James C., 2009, Taxonomic overview of the greater fritillary genus Speyeria Scudder and the atlantis - hesperis species complexes, with species accounts, type images, and relevant literature (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (90), pp. 1-74 : 14-15

Speyeria aphrodite ( Fabricius, 1787)

( Figure 9 )

Papilio Nymphalis Phaleratus Aphrodite Fabricius, 1787: 62 .

Argynnis cybele Fabricius form Bartschi Reiff, 1910: 255.

Argynnis aphrodite aberration bakeri Clark, 1932: 19.

Speyeria aphrodite (Fabricius) [ dos Passos and Grey 1945a].

Common names. Aphrodite Fritillary , silverspot fritillary, silver-winged butterfly, Venus fritillary, Venus’s argynne.

Type deposited. Neotype (male) at American Museum of Natural History ( Figure 9 ).

Type locality. The original description ( Fabricius 1787) did not include a collecting date, sex of specimen, or series data; “Habitat in America meridionali”. Defined by dos Passos and Grey (1947) based on neotype as New York City, New York County , New York .

Type label data. “No. 22, New York City and vicinity. Coll. S. L. Elliot”.

Identification, taxonomy, and variation. There are approximately 10 described subspecies in the aphrodite complex. Adult wingspan ranges from 50-84 mm. Males are typically orange-brown and there are specialized sex scales along forewing veins. These veins are as thin as they are on females and this is unique to S. aphrodite (as well as S. mormonia ). Another unique wing characteristic, reported by Guppy and Shepard (2001), is the presence of a faint black circle or “halo” surrounding the black spot located between wing veins M3 and CuA1. There is frequently little basal suffusion in the male, but the females usually exhibit some basal suffusion. Females are typically larger and have darker wing bases than do the males. Most S. aphrodite individuals have silver spots on the underside of the hindwings and the discal area is cinnamon brown to red-brown. The ventral hindwing submarginal band is narrow and invaded by disc coloration. Eye coloration in living adults is dull yellow-green ( Glassberg 2001a). The aphrodite complex is geographically variable, both in immature and adult stages. Eggs are usually reddish brown at maturity. Larvae are typically brown-black with the spines ochre or brown. The larval head capsule is light orange above and black below. Pupae are brownish-black with yellow wing cases and gray abdomen. There are spines or tubercles located on the abdomen.

Range. Forms of S. aphrodite occur range from the eastern United States, south along the Appalachians into northern Georgia south to North Carolina, north to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada, west to southern and central parts of British Columbia, Nebraska, south to New Mexico and Arizona. There are also isolated ‘ aphrodite ’ populations in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona [S. a. byblis (Barnes and Benjamin)] and Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming [S. a. ethne (Hemming)]. The range of nominate S. aphrodite includes central New York and southern Vermont southward to Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

Life history. Habitats include dry Transition Zone to Canadian Zone brushland or open woods, moist prairies, streamsides, foothills, mountain meadows/slopes, and old fields. Dry habitat species such as S. aphrodite delay laying most of their eggs until late August or September and they usually oviposit in places where the violets have dried up for the year. Eggs are laid singly near Viola spp. or where violets will appear next spring (often under shrubs) ( Scott 1986b). Females may be able to detect olfactory cues of the violets’ dormant roots ( Pyle 1995). In the Colorado foothills, females lay eggs in August and September under mahogany bushes and other places where violets have long since senesced ( Pyle 1995). Unfed first instar larvae hibernate. Larvae commence feeding the following spring and eat leaves of violets. Males patrol most of the day while seeking females, especially in open areas in western North America ( Scott 1975). Flight period is late June through mid-September.

Larval host plants. Viola lanceolata , V. fimbriatula , V. nuttallii , V. paplionacea , V. nephrophylla , V. primulifolia variation acuta, V. sagittata , V. sororia , V. tricolor , and V. adunca ( Scott 1986b; Scott 1992; Robinson et al. 2002). Tietz (1972) also reported Passiflora incarnata , Podophyllum peltatum , and Portulaca oleracea as food plants, all of which are likely erroneous.

Adult food sources. Milkweed, Asclepias exaltata , dogbane, black-eyed Susan, Queen Anne’s lace, hawkweeds, thistles, mints, rabbitbrush, Echium spp. ( Broyles and Wyatt 1991; Opler and Malikul 1998; Opler and Wright 1999; Foote 2002; Douglas and Douglas 2005).

Figures

Figure 6-10. Type images for Speyeria spp.; dorsal, ventral, and label images. 6) Speyeria idalia neotype, described as Papilio Nymphalis Phaleratus Idalia, male, AMNH. 7) Speyeria diana holotype, described as Papilio Nymphalis Phaleratus Diana, male, BMNH. 8) Speyeria cybele neotype, described as Papilio Nymphalis Phaleratus Cybele, female, BMNH. 9) Speyeria aphrodite neotype, described as Papilio Nymphalis Phaleratus Aphrodite, male, AMNH. 10) Speyeria nokomis neotype, described as Argynnis Nokomis, male, AMNH. Images 6 and 9-10 by James C. Dunford; 7-8 by Kim Goodger Buckmaster.