Silver Spotted Skipper

By Amy Yarger, Senior Director of Horticulture at Butterfly Pavilion 

In 2025, Butterfly Pavilion counted a silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) during the annual pollinator inventory – the first recorded since Baseline became a community. At first glance, this skipper species looks like a nondescript brown moth, but if you get a good look at it (which is admittedly challenging since it is a fast flier), you’ll be surprised by its hidden “bling”.

Skippers are plump, fuzzy, small to medium butterflies, named for their erratic, darting flight pattern. They are generally rusty or dark brown in color, great at hiding among the grasses and underbrush. Some other identifying characteristics of skippers are the way they hold their wings at rest, giving them a triangular shape. Unlike their butterfly cousins, skippers also have hooked antennae.

The silver-spotted skipper stands out from the other skippers in a couple of ways. First, it’s one of North America’s largest skippers, with a wingspan of over 2 inches. That may not seem big to you, but it’s almost twice as large as the other skippers in our region. The silver-spotted skipper is also showier than other skippers; sometimes you see the flash from its reflective silver patch on its hindwing before you spot the insect itself. The forewings also have a large yellow patch which contrasts with the dark brown scales.

This species is widespread across North America, except in the Great Basin and west Texas. In our region, we see silver spotted skippers in the summertime, from June through August. They like to inhabit brushy areas, especially if there are wetlands nearby and a little bit of shade cover. Many of the foods their caterpillars like to eat, such as wild licorice and leadplant, grow naturally in these areas. In planted landscapes at Baseline, you may find their smooth green caterpillars rolled up in the leaves of honey locust trees or dwarf leadplant.

Adults drink nectar from many plants including showy milkweed, blazingstar, and even thistles – they like purple, pink, and red flowers more than yellow ones. They also like to perch in sunny spots above trails – look for them at the tips of stems or leaves. Males patrol pathways, looking for females to mate with. If mating is successful, female skippers lay eggs on their larval host plants, and the caterpillars spend the rest of the summer season fattening up before overwintering as a pupa.

With the pollinator resources planted throughout Baseline, this intriguing skipper will hopefully make a return appearance this summer. Keep your eyes open, but you may want to wear shades because of that bold flash!