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 145 - 168 of 8948 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jul 27, 2023
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Wake County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 28, 2023
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Bledsoe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Wake County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: May 06, 2023
Submitted by: COA1955
Region: Morgan County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 24, 2023
Observation date: Jul 14, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2023
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Laramie County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 06, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 22, 2023
Submitted by: Hahalua
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 04, 2022
Submitted by: G215
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 12, 2023
Submitted by: Ty-Sharrow
Region: Craighead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 17, 2023
Observation date: Jun 16, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 17, 2023
Observation date: Jun 15, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Lincoln County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 16, 2023
Observation date: Jun 12, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 16, 2023
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 05, 2023
Observation date: May 26, 2023
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 02, 2023
Observation date: May 17, 2023
Submitted by: sherylsr
Region: Blanco County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: May 03, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 18, 2023
Observation date: Sep 24, 2022
Submitted by: Barometz
Region: Marion County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 17, 2023
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