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Silver-spotted Skipper

Epargyreus clarus[3]

The silver-spotted skipper is a large, dark brown skipper with gold forewing spots and a silvery-white patch under the hindwing; its yellow-green caterpillars with orange eyespots on the head feed on locusts and wisteria.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Hesperiidae
US records
43 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-15
Yellow-green silver-spotted skipper caterpillar with a red-brown head and orange eyespots
Yellow-green silver-spotted skipper caterpillar with a red-brown head and orange eyespots. (c) Bernie Paquette, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • Caterpillars grow to nearly 2 inches: yellow-green with fine dark crosslines, a narrow red-brown 'neck' and a large red-brown head with two orange eyespots.[1][2]
  • Adults are dark with gold spots on the forewings and a silvery-white patch under each hindwing; they have a swift, bouncing flight.[2]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Hoary edgeThe hoary edge is similar but smaller and less common, with a frosty patch reaching the hindwing's outer edge.[2]

Where it lives

Common in brushy fields, roadsides and city yards; MU reports caterpillars in summer and fall.[1][2]

US map: public records from 43 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

MU Extension reports two to three generations a year.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Caterpillars feed on legumes, including black locust, honey locust, wisteria, false indigo and wild senna; feeding is rarely noticeable.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Prevention

No control is needed.[1][2]

Common questions

What is the green caterpillar with orange eyes on my wisteria?
A silver-spotted skipper caterpillar.[1][2]
What does the butterfly look like?
Dark brown with gold spots and a silvery patch under the hindwing.[2]
Will it hurt my locust tree?
No; it's a common native skipper.[1][2]

Sources

  1. University of Missouri Extension (Caterpillars in Your Yard and Garden, IPM1019), “Caterpillars in Your Yard and Garden, page 38: Silverspotted skipper.” extension.missouri.edu/publications/ipm1019-38 (accessed 2026-10-15)
  2. Missouri Department of Conservation, “Silver-Spotted Skipper (Field Guide).” mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/silver-spotted-skipper (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Epargyreus clarus taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/81559 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-15. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.