Silver-spotted Skipper

  • Family name: Hesperiidae/Skippers
  • General description: Wings brown, forewing elongated with a band of glassy gold spots. Hindwing with small lobe on lower angle. Ventral hindwing with prominent clear white patch in center.
  • Field Marks: Ventral hindwing with prominent clear white patch in center. Body stout.
  • Sexes: Appear similar
  • Wingspan: 50-67 mm
  • Life Cycle: Egg: Green, laid singly on host leaves Mature larva: Yellow with narrow dark transverse bands. Head reddish-brown with two orange-yellow spots along the lower margin. Chrysalis: Brown with darker markings
  • Number of Generations: Three or more
  • Flight Season: Spring through fall
  • Abundance: occasional to common
  • Habitat: Fields, swamps, woodland margins, disturbed woody sites, gardens
  • Larval Host Plants: Various members of the Pea family(Fabaceae) including Bastard Indigo(Amorpha fruticosa), Black Locust(Robinia pseudoacacia), American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens), Chinese Wisteria(Wisteria sinensis), American Hogpeanut(Amphicarpaea bracteata)
  • Similar Species:
  • Additional Information: Range is limited in Idaho and Utah. Adults of this large, robust skipper have a rapid and powerful flight. Typically encountered as isolated individuals. Adults avidly visit available flowers. Larvae construct individual leaf shelters on host.
  • Range in Florida

 


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