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 1 - 24 of 9038 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 04, 2025
Submitted by: WackyBunny
Region: Fulton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 04, 2025
Observation date: Oct 24, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 02, 2025
Observation date: Oct 25, 2025
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: Gulf County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 31, 2025
Observation date: Jul 18, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 07, 2025
Submitted by: Stujo4
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 24, 2023
Submitted by: Jay Jeffrey
Region: Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 13, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 28, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Oct 11, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Oct 23, 2025
Submitted by: AzarNick
Region: Pettis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Oct 18, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Oct 01, 2025
Submitted by: David Allio
Region: Fountain County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 07, 2025
Observation date: Oct 05, 2025
Submitted by: leskokid
Region: Monroe County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: Bibby_Jones
Region: Franklin County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 02, 2025
Observation date: Sep 27, 2025
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 30, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2025
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 25, 2025
Observation date: Sep 21, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 22, 2025
Observation date: Sep 16, 2025
Submitted by: RobC304
Region: Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 16, 2025
Observation date: Oct 21, 2019
Submitted by: beverlynantz
Region: Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 02, 2025
Submitted by: Beast_Lord
Region: Franklin County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 11, 2025
Observation date: Jun 25, 2025
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Humphreys County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
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