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 409 - 432 of 11238 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: cathorse
Region: Washington County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Nov 28, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Craven County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2013
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Nov 24, 2021
Observation date: May 26, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Gadsden County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: janetslingerland
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: michael marantz
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 18, 2021
Observation date: Apr 19, 2021
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Camden County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 18, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2021
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 18, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2021
Submitted by: E_Jones102
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 18, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2006
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 25, 2021
Submitted by: davidf66
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 07, 2010
Submitted by: botanybill
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Sep 04, 2015
Submitted by: mollieking
Region: Calvert County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 07, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2017
Submitted by: botanybill
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 25, 2017
Submitted by: grayhairstreak
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2017
Submitted by: cmgauger
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Sep 15, 2018
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 07, 2019
Submitted by: AshNota
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: David Illig
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2019
Submitted by: charlieboy
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: mysorekid
Region: St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
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