Great spangled fritillary
Speyeria cybele
The most common large fritillary across eastern North America, an orange-and-black butterfly of moist meadows and woodland edges whose larvae feed exclusively on violets (Viola spp.). It produces one generation a year with a distinctive life cycle: females lay eggs singly on or near violets in late summer, the caterpillars hatch but overwinter without feeding, then feed on the freshly emerging violet foliage in spring. Adults are generalist nectar feeders on a wide range of native and garden flowers, making violets the limiting habitat resource for supporting a breeding population.
Conservation
Secure (NatureServe global rank G5) and described by state agencies as the most common fritillary in eastern North America; no IUCN, Xerces Red List, or USFWS listing. Because larvae depend entirely on violets, undisturbed leaf litter and standing violet patches near the garden are the practical conservation actions rather than any listing-driven concern.