Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus (Cramer, 1775)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 9962 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 02, 2018
Submitted by: Kevin Fick
Region: Otsego County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Mar 23, 2019
Observation date: Jul 17, 2018
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Cocke County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 19, 2019
Observation date: Jul 29, 2018
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Elmore County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 18, 2019
Observation date: Jul 25, 2007
Submitted by: Janeal W. Thompson
Region: Prowers County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Mar 07, 2019
Observation date: May 26, 2006
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 04, 2019
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 07, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Mar 03, 2019
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Mar 03, 2019
Observation date: Jun 22, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2019
Observation date: Jul 22, 2018
Submitted by: Murts
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 24, 2019
Observation date: Jun 21, 2018
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Rensselaer County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 23, 2019
Observation date: Aug 07, 2018
Submitted by: Karen Gallo
Region: New London County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: PDeGennaro
Verified date: Feb 16, 2019
Observation date: Aug 13, 2017
Submitted by: lissum
Region: Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 07, 2019
Observation date: Oct 03, 2015
Submitted by: GCSnelling
Region: Craighead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 22, 2019
Observation date: Jul 21, 2018
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Liberty County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Dec 12, 2018
Observation date: Jul 27, 2018
Submitted by: HSVGardenGirl
Region: Saline County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 02, 2018
Observation date: May 18, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Leigh
Region: Madison County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 23, 2018
Observation date: Oct 16, 2018
Submitted by: AlexD
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 16, 2018
Observation date: Sep 16, 2018
Submitted by: Asoynut
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2018
Observation date: Oct 07, 2018
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Humphreys County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Oct 11, 2018
Observation date: Jun 24, 2018
Submitted by: mbalame99
Region: Clatsop County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 11, 2018
Observation date: Sep 14, 2018
Submitted by: AO6814
Region: Owen County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Oct 09, 2018
Observation date: Sep 23, 2018
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Oct 09, 2018
Observation date: Jul 02, 2018
Submitted by: WINGSaloftinKS
Region: Douglas County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 09, 2018
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