Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia Hübner, [1822]
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is brown. Forewing with 2 orange cell bars and 2 eyespots; part of white subapical band appears in the largest, lower eyespot. Hindwing has 2 eyespots; upper one is largest and contains a magenta crescent. Underside of hindwing is brown or tan in the wet season (summer) form and rose-red in the dry season (fall) form.
Wing Span: 1 5/8 - 2 3/4 inches (4.2 - 7 cm).
Life History: Males perch during the day on low plants or bare ground to watch for females, flying periodically to patrol or to chase other flying insects. Females lay eggs singly on leaf buds or on upperside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars are solitary and eat leaves. Caterpillars and adults overwinter but only in the south.
Flight: Two to three broods from May-October, throughout the year in the Deep South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants from the snapdragon family including snapdragon (Antirrhinum) and toadflax (Linaria); the plantain family including plantains (Plantago); and the acanthus family including ruellia (Ruellia nodiflora).
Adult Food: Favorite nectar sources are composites including aster, chickory, gumweed, knapweed, and tickseed sunflower. Dogbane, peppermint, and other flowers are also visited.
Habitat: Open, sunny areas with low vegetation and some bare ground.
Range: Resident in the southern United States and north along the coasts to central California and North Carolina; south to Bermuda, Cuba, Isle of Pines, and southern Mexico. Adults from the south's first brood migrate north in late spring and summer to temporarily colonize most of the United States and parts of southern Canada. Comments: The eyespots may be used to scare away predators.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 8945 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 02, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 08, 2024
Observation date: Sep 18, 2024
Submitted by: Lyle R
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 07, 2024
Observation date: Oct 02, 2024
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 03, 2024
Observation date: Sep 12, 2024
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 30, 2024
Observation date: Sep 22, 2024
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 28, 2024
Observation date: Sep 21, 2024
Submitted by: GLG
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 23, 2024
Observation date: Sep 17, 2024
Submitted by: N. Wade Snyder
Region: Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 18, 2024
Observation date: Sep 15, 2024
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 17, 2024
Observation date: Aug 25, 2024
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 15, 2024
Observation date: Sep 14, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 15, 2024
Observation date: Sep 06, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 09, 2024
Observation date: Sep 07, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 09, 2024
Observation date: Jul 22, 2024
Submitted by: Bjagacki
Region: Shelby County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 05, 2024
Observation date: Sep 03, 2024
Submitted by: Annmhi
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 03, 2024
Observation date: Aug 30, 2024
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 01, 2024
Observation date: Aug 30, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 31, 2024
Observation date: Aug 24, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 25, 2024
Observation date: Aug 24, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2024
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Rush County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: Thyger
Region: Washington County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 15, 2024
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 15, 2024
Observation date: Aug 09, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 10, 2024
Observation date: Aug 03, 2024
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Rowan County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 09, 2024
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