Summer nap

Great Spangled Fritillary on orange milkweed

Many people are familiar with monarchs and their migration, but most butterflies have their own unique life cycle. One is the beautiful Great spangled fritillary (speyeria cybele) They emerge from their chrysalis from late June to early July. Males will be seen searching for females. They will often be seen nectaring on milkweed flowers that are blooming at this time like common and orange milkweed. After they mate, males will die off and the females will go into a semi dormant like state, a summer nap if you will, and seldom be seen. Then in late summer early fall, they will start being seen again when they will start laying eggs.