Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus (Cramer, 1775)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Eudaminae
Identification: Wings are brown-black; hindwing is lobed. Forewing has transparent gold spots; underside of hindwing has a metallic silver band.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 5/8 inches (4.5 - 6.7 cm).
Life History: Adults perch upside down under leaves at night and on hot or cloudy days. To seek females males perch on branches and tall weeds, and occasionally patrol. Females lay single eggs near the host trees, and the caterpillars must find their proper host. Young caterpillars live in a folded leaf shelter; older ones live in a nest of silked-together leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: Two broods from May-September in most of the East, a single brood to the north and west, three-four broods from February-December in the Deep South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Many woody legumes including black locust (Robinia pseudacacia), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and false indigo (Amorpha species). Also selected herbaceous legumes such s Glycyrrhiza species.
Adult Food: The Silver-spotted Skipper almost never visits yellow flowers but favors blue, red, pink, purple, and sometimes white and cream-colored ones. These include everlasting pea, common milkweed, red clover, buttonbush, blazing star, and thistles.
Habitat: Disturbed and open woods, foothill streamcourses, prairie waterways.
Range: Extreme southern Canada and most of the continental United States except the Great Basin and west Texas; northern Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes: Formerly in the subfamily Pyrginae.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 241 - 264 of 11234 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: DJ Jones
Region: Manistee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: kbg
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2022
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 29, 2022
Observation date: Aug 22, 2022
Submitted by: BDashiell
Region: Wicomico County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 29, 2022
Observation date: Aug 26, 2022
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 27, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 27, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
Observation date: May 15, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: Gruntaloob
Region: Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 17, 2022
Submitted by: lois.posey
Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Miami County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: Nilesh Shah
Region: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: carriebutterfly
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: Joe Colacino
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: nyasner
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Sandy Stevens
Region: Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
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