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 193 - 216 of 11234 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Luanncfrost
Region: Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 05, 2023
Observation date: May 31, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 02, 2023
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 02, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: plawryniuk
Region: Gila County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: Beeeater
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 29, 2023
Observation date: May 25, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 24, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 26, 2023
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: May 21, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: May 17, 2023
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 17, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 15, 2023
Observation date: May 10, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 12, 2023
Observation date: May 01, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 03, 2023
Observation date: Apr 21, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Morgan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 22, 2023
Observation date: Mar 08, 2023
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 08, 2023
Observation date: Jun 24, 2020
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Napa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 07, 2015
Submitted by: gjyanicki
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Sep 20, 2021
Submitted by: catbirdcat
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 05, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 28, 2022
Submitted by: Debo
Region: Montgomery County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 05, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Elkhart County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 16, 2022
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