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 9011 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 26, 2025
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 28, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 26, 2025
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 27, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 12, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 22, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 23, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 18, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: NatLink25
Region: Jackson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 18, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 18, 2025
Observation date: Aug 16, 2025
Submitted by: Lisa McClendon
Region: Scott County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 17, 2025
Observation date: Aug 11, 2025
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 06, 2025
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 09, 2025
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 09, 2025
Observation date: Nov 08, 2024
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 09, 2025
Observation date: Nov 08, 2024
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 09, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 08, 2025
Observation date: Aug 05, 2025
Submitted by: scottj4hops
Region: Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 05, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: acb22
Region: Sangamon County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 05, 2025
Observation date: Jul 28, 2025
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 02, 2025
Observation date: Jul 31, 2025
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 02, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: HarrellSarahD
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: Lisa McClendon
Region: Scott County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 27, 2025
Observation date: Jul 26, 2025
Submitted by: Gingurr25
Region: Posey County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 27, 2025
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