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Identity

Epargyreus clarus is a large North American skipper. Its stout body, hooked antennal tips and short hindwing projection accompany a particularly conspicuous underside marking. [1]

Appearance

A gold band crosses each brown forewing, while a large, uneven silver-white patch marks the hindwing underside. Larvae are yellowish with narrow dark crossbands and a dark reddish head bearing large yellow spots. [1]

Range and habitat

The species occurs across much of the continental United States and southern Canada. Wood margins, shrubby openings and vegetation beside wetlands provide adult feeding sites and larval hosts. [1]

Life cycle

Growing larvae replace their shelters repeatedly. Small individuals fold a cut flap of leaf; later shelters involve larger folds or several joined leaves. Pupation occurs within a leaf shelter, and the pupa is the overwintering stage. [1][2]

Food and host plants

Larvae feed on Fabaceae, including black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, and false indigo, Amorpha fruticosa. Adults visit flowers and also take moisture from wet ground. [1]

Behaviour

Caterpillars spend much of their time against the inside roof of a shelter and leave for relatively brief feeding bouts. They actively remove foreign pellets placed inside, using the head or mandibles. [2]

Remarkable detail

Martha Weiss recorded a 4-cm larva propelling a faecal pellet 153 cm, approximately 38 body lengths. Ejection is driven by a pressure mechanism whose anal comb acts as a latch. [2]

Ecology

Experiments found that frass near shelters increased the attention of predatory wasps. Removing these chemical clues provides a defensible explanation for ballistic ejection; the study gave less support to hygiene or lack of space as the principal benefits. [2]

Artwork

Ventral view.Illustration adapted from File:Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus Feeding 2116px.jpg by Photo by and (c)2008 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ). GFDL 1.2. Illustration licensed under GFDL 1.2. Full licence text.

Epargyreus clarus, ventral view — Ventral view.Illustration adapted from File:Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus Feeding 2116px.jpg by Photo by and (c)2008 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ). GFDL 1.2. Illustration licensed under GFDL 1.2. Full licence text.

Sources

Silver-spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus ↗
University of Florida IFAS · Accessed 2026-10-13
Good housekeeping: why do shelter-dwelling caterpillars fling their frass? ↗
Ecology Letters / Martha R. Weiss, Georgetown University · Accessed 2026-10-13

Sources checked 2026-10-13. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.

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