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 49 - 72 of 11234 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 09, 2024
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 11, 2024
Observation date: Jul 09, 2024
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 11, 2024
Observation date: Jul 03, 2024
Submitted by: rvwientzen
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 26, 2024
Submitted by: Jenmiller81
Region: Jefferson County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 11, 2024
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: Gingurr25
Region: Posey County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 06, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: White County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Bookworm86
Region: Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 20, 2024
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 03, 2024
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: courtgwalsh
Region: Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: May 29, 2024
Submitted by: Ljay
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 28, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 01, 2024
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 27, 2024
Submitted by: Blayne Crabtree
Region: Morgan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 28, 2024
Observation date: Jun 26, 2024
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 28, 2024
Observation date: Jun 13, 2018
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Will County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 28, 2024
Observation date: Jun 07, 2024
Submitted by: DebraRade
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 28, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: jryan1022
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 26, 2024
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: regina rochefort
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 26, 2024
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 25, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 25, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 25, 2024
Observation date: Jun 22, 2024
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 24, 2024
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