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 121 - 144 of 8946 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: davek
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 05, 2023
Observation date: Oct 03, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 03, 2023
Observation date: Sep 29, 2023
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 02, 2023
Observation date: Sep 28, 2023
Submitted by: Barjones78
Region: Benton County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 28, 2023
Observation date: Sep 24, 2023
Submitted by: Reneehernandez5...
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 27, 2023
Observation date: Sep 12, 2023
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 18, 2023
Observation date: Sep 13, 2023
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 14, 2023
Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 30, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 08, 2023
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Johnson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Mar 25, 2023
Submitted by: Birdwatcher5
Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Morgan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 08, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 09, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 08, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Marion County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 16, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Massac County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
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