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 289 - 312 of 11235 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 13, 2021
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: Kane County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Steuben County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 26, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: black
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 26, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: lello
Region: Washington County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 10, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2022
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Union County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2020
Submitted by: Boreas
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: Olive C
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 23, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 21, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: RoxannaTessman
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 23, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Oct 02, 2021
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 19, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: Mebanite
Region: Alamance County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 10, 2022
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: tklaiber
Region: Boyd County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 21, 2022
Submitted by: Lyndie Mason Warner
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2020
Submitted by: carlakish
Region: Gila County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2016
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
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