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 73 - 96 of 11234 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 22, 2024
Submitted by: Bradleysogoba
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 22, 2024
Observation date: Jun 20, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 21, 2024
Observation date: Jun 20, 2024
Submitted by: iamjoeyking
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 20, 2024
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Severino Carbone
Region: Otsego County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 19, 2024
Observation date: Jun 17, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 18, 2024
Observation date: Jun 16, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
Observation date: Jun 13, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 14, 2024
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 13, 2024
Observation date: May 13, 2024
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Darke County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 13, 2024
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: bob_pickle9
Region: Hartford County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 13, 2024
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 12, 2024
Observation date: Jun 08, 2024
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 10, 2024
Observation date: Jun 08, 2024
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Mason County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 07, 2024
Observation date: Jun 05, 2024
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Napa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: Jun 02, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Greene County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Ozark_Bill
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 04, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
Observation date: Jun 02, 2024
Submitted by: Melody.McM
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Gingurr25
Region: Posey County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 25, 2024
Observation date: May 23, 2024
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 24, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Page County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
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