Complete Guide To The Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterfly
Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterfly
Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterfly Images
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
How To Identify Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterflies
- Wingspan: 1.75 – 2.4 inches (4 – 6.1 cm)
- Male and female Silver-Spotted Skipper butterflies look similar.
- Above:
- Dark brown with an orange band across the middle of the fore wing.
- Large, dark eyes.
- Hooked antennae.
- Below:
- Dark brown overall with large, bright, irregular silver-white patch on the hind wing.
- Forewing looks much the same as from above—dark brown with an orange band.
- Short, stout abdomen.
- Although Silver-Spotted Skimmers are classified as “spread-wing skippers” in subfamily Pyrginae, they usually perch with their wings closed unless basking in the sun.
Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly Epargyreus clarus labelled with field marks that identify the species. Photograph and diagram created by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder.
How to Find Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterflies
- Flight Season: Adults fly between early May through late October in North Carolina.
- Look for these brown butterflies in open, sunny spaces with flowers, like meadows, roadsides, parks, orchards, utility easements and gardens.
- Male Silver-Spotted Skipper butterflies are territorial and often perch on low vegetation so they can watch for females and intruding males (Brock and Kaufman 2006). Sometimes, individual males will fly out to investigate passing humans.
Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterfly Classification
|
Phylum |
Arthropoda |
|
Class |
Insecta |
|
Order |
Lepidoptera |
|
Family |
Hesperiidae (Skipper Butterflies) |
|
Genus |
Epargyreus |
|
Species |
E. clarus |
Binomial Name |
Epargyreus clarus |
