The Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) is a large skipper with a wing span of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. It can be found across southern parts of Canada, south through most of the United States, into northern Mexico. They’re also found in southern England.
I see them very frequently here on my mountain eating the nectar of flowers. Mostly blue, pink, purple, and red flowers which they seem to prefer. They seldom eat the nectar of yellow flowers.
Above is an older instar of the Silver Spotted Skipper. Measuring in at about 2 inches in length. The orange dots that you see are not actually eyes, though they do look like eyes. They may be there to scare off would be predators.
Larval host plants of this skipper include both herbaceous and woody species in the Pea family (Fabaceae), including Black Locust, Honey Locust, False Indigo Bush, and Patridge Pea.
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