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 169 - 192 of 11234 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 12, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 13, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 11, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 06, 2023
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2023
Submitted by: Gingurr25
Region: Posey County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 28, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 26, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 27, 2023
Observation date: Jun 22, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 23, 2023
Observation date: Jun 22, 2023
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 23, 2023
Observation date: Jun 18, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 18, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Apr 24, 2023
Submitted by: Stephen Craig
Region: Barry County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
Observation date: Jun 09, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 08, 2023
Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 05, 2023
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 05, 2023
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