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 265 - 288 of 11235 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Sandy Stevens
Region: Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Sandy Stevens
Region: Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Page County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: Stacey D
Region: Chatham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Colbert County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: carriebutterfly
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: Jacksenzig
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2020
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: prairiegardenlady
Region: Madison County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Apr 26, 2022
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Treutlen County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Apr 14, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Treutlen County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2022
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Aug 02, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: sandyleapt
Region: Benton County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: Lynn Ferris
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
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