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 121 - 144 of 11234 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 02, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 02, 2023
Observation date: Aug 27, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 30, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: jthompson6112
Region: Ulster County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 29, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
Observation date: May 03, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: Technowannabe
Region: Knox County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: Aprilmoonlight
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Aug 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Morgan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: choover14
Region: Geauga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: Beefnight
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: adfath
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 02, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: AmyHD
Region: Fulton County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 02, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 01, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 01, 2023
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