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 313 - 336 of 11237 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jul 07, 2022
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Knox County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 03, 2022
Submitted by: Olive C
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 06, 2022
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2022
Submitted by: sharonsmlbx
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 05, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2022
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2022
Submitted by: chneal
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2022
Submitted by: Rozelle Wright
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Page County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jul 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 30, 2022
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Putnam County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 29, 2022
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 28, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2021
Submitted by: Fetzkorn
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2021
Submitted by: bknupp
Region: Rockingham County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: Gregkjones1753
Region: Hanover County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 28, 2022
Observation date: May 18, 2022
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 27, 2022
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2022
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 26, 2022
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