Wisconsin Native Caterpillars
Silver-Spotted Skipper Caterpillar
Genus-Species: Epargyreus clarus
Description: The caterpillar is very distinctive
by having a “wrinkled” yellow-green body with a brown head that bears a pair of false
orange eyespots.
Host Plants: Black Locust.
Habitat: A wide variety of habitats including old fields,
woodland edges, and gardens. It is fond of nectar and can be seen nectaring on a variety of
flowers.
Comments: The Silver-Spotted Skipper is one of the
more common skippers in the southern two-thirds of the state. In Wisconsin wherever its main
host plant, Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is found, this species is likely to be present.
This tree is an invasive alien and once it is established, it forms large colonies.
Find instructions on how to design a butterfly-friendly habitat including a catalog of favorite flowers
guaranteed to attract butterflies.
Take this quick quiz and see how much you know about caterpillars. This quiz is intended for fun, in
a random-facts-can-be-cool kind of way.
How does this magic happen? Learn about metamorphosis - the process of transformation from an
immature form to an adult bitterfly.