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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 8374 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 06, 2019
Submitted by: shamytwinsmom
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 04, 2019
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: klavierabend
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: marsrover
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 12, 2016
Submitted by: Jazzejan
Region: Nassau County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 07, 2019
Observation date: Sep 03, 2019
Submitted by: marsrover
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 07, 2019
Observation date: Sep 06, 2019
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2019
Observation date: Jul 08, 2019
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2019
Observation date: Sep 05, 2019
Submitted by: Michayla Lovitt
Region: Richmond County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 05, 2019
Observation date: Aug 29, 2019
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Sep 04, 2019
Observation date: Sep 03, 2019
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Sep 04, 2019
Observation date: Sep 01, 2019
Submitted by: Sara Patton
Region: Athens County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Sep 02, 2019
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Aug 27, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 01, 2019
Observation date: Aug 08, 2019
Submitted by: thepethealer
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: betsyp
Region: Niagara County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 28, 2019
Submitted by: lfriedenberg
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 30, 2019
Observation date: Aug 25, 2019
Submitted by: smsmith14
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: smsmith14
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: Sweeetpea63
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: dettdetect74
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 25, 2019
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 28, 2019
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
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