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 385 - 408 of 11238 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 07, 2021
Submitted by: lassa8
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2018
Submitted by: lassa8
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2017
Submitted by: Pierre
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 04, 2022
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 02, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: Mercedes-Fletcher
Region: Hancock County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2020
Submitted by: purplechickadee
Region: Passaic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2020
Submitted by: purplechickadee
Region: Passaic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2020
Submitted by: k.d.stutzman
Region: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jan 21, 2022
Observation date: Sep 24, 2018
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 21, 2022
Observation date: May 22, 2021
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 11, 2021
Submitted by: jofritz
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Hart County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Aug 11, 2019
Submitted by: rabramovitz
Region: Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Sep 09, 2021
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 31, 2021
Observation date: Jun 03, 2020
Submitted by: tom nolan
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 31, 2021
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: sbruenjes
Region: Essex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 31, 2021
Observation date: Oct 23, 2020
Submitted by: kent
Region: District of Columbia, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 24, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2019
Submitted by: pmrules21
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 04, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2019
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 25, 2019
Submitted by: michael marantz
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 02, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2019
Submitted by: oakleyer
Region: District of Columbia, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: Mpersik
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2017
Submitted by: evangareth
Region: District of Columbia, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 30, 2021
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