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 11390 verified sightings
Observation date: May 18, 2026
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 18, 2026
Observation date: May 16, 2026
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 18, 2026
Observation date: May 09, 2026
Submitted by: jkarthei
Region: Morgan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 18, 2026
Observation date: May 15, 2026
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 17, 2026
Observation date: May 13, 2026
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 14, 2026
Observation date: Apr 15, 2026
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 19, 2026
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 26, 2026
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: May 01, 2026
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 27, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 27, 2026
Observation date: Apr 24, 2026
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 24, 2026
Observation date: Apr 14, 2026
Submitted by: WirelessMike
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Apr 20, 2026
Observation date: Apr 15, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 15, 2026
Observation date: Mar 04, 2026
Submitted by: aturney
Region: Texas, Polk County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 06, 2026
Observation date: Apr 05, 2026
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 06, 2026
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
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