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 11271 verified sightings
Observation date: May 12, 2025
Submitted by: rtsmith
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 09, 2025
Observation date: Jun 19, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 20, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 15, 2025
Submitted by: Funkki
Region: Linn County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 07, 2025
Observation date: Jul 06, 2025
Submitted by: ebea
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 06, 2025
Observation date: Jul 08, 2024
Submitted by: Geoff Urwin
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2025
Observation date: Jul 05, 2025
Submitted by: Hang10
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2025
Observation date: Jul 03, 2025
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Jul 03, 2025
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Jul 03, 2025
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Jun 29, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 01, 2025
Observation date: Jun 26, 2025
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 29, 2025
Observation date: Jun 28, 2025
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 28, 2025
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: beverlynantz
Region: Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 23, 2025
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 24, 2025
Observation date: Jun 20, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 22, 2025
Observation date: Jun 14, 2025
Submitted by: Dogoszhi
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 15, 2025
Observation date: Jun 13, 2025
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 14, 2025
Observation date: Jun 11, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 14, 2025
Observation date: Jun 10, 2025
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Lewis County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 11, 2025
Observation date: Jun 11, 2025
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 11, 2025
Observation date: Jun 05, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 10, 2025
Observation date: May 31, 2025
Submitted by: mwalk
Region: Atchison County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 09, 2025
Observation date: Jun 04, 2025
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jun 04, 2025
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