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The species of the genus Speyeria can be extremely difficult to identify, particularly in the western United States. All of the western species are individually and geographically variable and there are often no characters that will all permit identification of some of the species with any certainty. There is also the possibility that not all of the "species" of Speyeria are actually good species. The notes below are only intended to provide some help in making determinations, but we make no promises.

The easy species: Speyeria idalia and diana cannot be mistaken.

Eastern Species: The three eastern species aphrodite, cybele, and atlantis can be distininguished by size and the coloration of the hindwing below

Speyeria aphrodite

Speyeria atlantis

Speyeria cybele

WESTERN SPECIES

Base of hindwing below reddish-brown, without contrasting lighter areas and contrasting with yellowish subterminal band

Speyeria cybele Sexes not dimorphic; subterminal silver spots not edged with black

Speyeria nokomis Sexes dimorphic; subterminal silver spots edged with black

Base of hindwing below with silver spots larger than in other species

Speyeria callipe

Basal two-thirds of hindwing below reddish-brown and distinctly contrasting with yellowish subterminal band; base of male forewing above suffused with black.

Speyeria atlantis No consistently separable from hesperis. Base of hindwing below more brownish

Speyeria hesperis Not consistently separable from atlantis. Base of hindwing below more reddish.

Hindwing below with spots and general maculation washed out and spots not silvery

Speyeria adiaste

Hindwing below with spots not silver, but yellowish. However some populations and individuals of other species sometimes also lack silver on the spots.

Speyeria hydaspe

Base of hindwing below greenish (note both green and brown forms occur in egleis)

Speyeria edwardsii Spots relatively larger than in egleis and mormonia; base on hindwing relatively darker

Speyeria egleis Spots more ovate and strongly edged with black than in mormonia.

Speyeria mormonia Spots more irregular and elongate and less strongly edged with black than in green form of egleis.

Base of hindwing below brown or red-brown (note both green and brown forms occur in egleis

Speyeria aphrodite Primarily an eastern species; subterminal band of hindwing below weaker than in other species.

Speyeria coronis Submarginal silver spots more rounded inward for flattened than in zerene and capped with pale green or greenish brown. Not completely separable from zerene

Speyeria carolae Intermediate between coronis and zerene. Limited to the the Clark Mountains of southeastern Nevada and outside of the range of those two species.

Speyeria zerene Submarginal silver spots more round to elongate than in coronis and with brown caps. Not completely separable from coronis.