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 1 - 24 of 11375 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: cjthaiss
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Apr 01, 2026
Observation date: Aug 11, 2025
Submitted by: rynthae
Region: Staunton, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Apr 01, 2026
Observation date: May 27, 2024
Submitted by: Spunkybart
Region: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Jul 07, 2024
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: Rosales.Visuals
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Aug 10, 2016
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Jul 26, 2025
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Apr 17, 2020
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Amherst County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: May 15, 2025
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: Fraxinus
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 13, 2025
Submitted by: betsmcq
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Sep 20, 2025
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: larryheine@gmail.com
Region: Rockingham County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 09, 2025
Submitted by: MaryInArlington
Region: Arlington County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: May 16, 2025
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2026
Observation date: Jul 25, 2025
Submitted by: MaryInArlington
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 24, 2025
Observation date: Jun 20, 2025
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 20, 2025
Observation date: Jul 20, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 22, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 29, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Roane County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 04, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 13, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 07, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
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