• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Skippers
  • Spread-wing Skippers
  • Skipperlings
  • Grass-Skippers
• Spread-wing Skippers
  • Silver-spotted Skipper
  • Hoary Edge
  • Southern Cloudywing
  • Northern Cloudywing
  • Hayhurst’s Scallopwing
  • Dreamy Duskywing
  • Sleepy Duskywing
  • Juvenal’s Duskywing
  • Horace’s Duskywing
  • Mottled Duskywing
  • Funereal Duskywing
  • Columbine Duskywing
  • Wild Indigo Duskywing
  • Persius Duskywing
  • Common Checkered-Skipper
  • Common Sootywing

Silver-spotted Skipper

(Epargyreus clarus)

The Silver-spotted Skipper is one of the more common skippers in the southern two-thirds of the state. In Wisconsin wherever its main host plant, Black Locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia) is found, this species is likely to be present. This tree is an invasive alien and once it is established, it forms large colonies. This is one of only two skippers that I have had visit my butterfly bush in my garden. Because of its distinctive silvery spot and large size, this species of easy to spot as it flits about, nectaring in a field.

Identifying characteristics: The Silver-spotted Skipper is Wisconsin’s largest skipper. It is essentially a brown butterfly with a few white spots on the forewing above and a yellowish band that cuts through the middle of the wing. Below, the species has a large silvery/white mark through the center of the hindwing that contrasts greatly with the brown color of the wing and which makes this species easy to identify, even from a distance.

Similar species: Somewhat similar to the Hoary Edge, but the Hoary Edge is a rare stray to Wisconsin, is smaller, and doesn’t have a large silvery/white spot in the center of its hindwing below.

Habitat: A wide variety of habitats including old fields, woodland edges, and gardens. It is fond of nectar and can be seen nectaring on a variety of flowers.

Flight: The first brood of this species is present in June and early July, with a second brood in late July and August, at least in the southern counties.

Abundance: Common, but not usually seen in large numbers, and often seen singly. I saw 28 of this species in one day and never more than 2–3 at a time.

Early Silver-spotted Skipper sightings, all years

Date seen	County	Reported by
12–31–2003	Monroe	john and jane balaban
05–27–2006	Grant	Todd Sima
05–27–2007	Iowa	Karl and Dorothy Legler
05–27–2007	Dane	Ann Thering
05–30–2006	Racine	Rhonda Hansen
05–30–2007	Lafayette	Todd Sima

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