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 8764 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 08, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 09, 2023
Observation date: Dec 21, 2022
Submitted by: Erik Stabl
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 13, 2022
Observation date: Nov 29, 2022
Submitted by: lkennedywilson
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 01, 2022
Observation date: Nov 02, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Pickens County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Nov 24, 2022
Observation date: Nov 23, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
Observation date: Nov 16, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 18, 2022
Observation date: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: John Koerner
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 14, 2022
Observation date: Nov 07, 2022
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2016
Submitted by: ProbsOneAndDone
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Nov 09, 2022
Observation date: Nov 06, 2022
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Preble County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 09, 2022
Observation date: Nov 06, 2022
Submitted by: SelenaFrye9364
Region: Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 06, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 04, 2022
Observation date: Nov 03, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Schoenberg
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2022
Observation date: Oct 30, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 02, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Oct 27, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Oct 21, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 27, 2022
Observation date: Oct 27, 2022
Submitted by: SamanthaI
Region: Bell County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2022
Observation date: Oct 25, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
Observation date: Oct 17, 2022
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Oct 20, 2022
Submitted by: LionsGatePhoto
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 23, 2022
Observation date: Oct 23, 2022
Submitted by: calvertm
Region: Reynolds County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 23, 2022
Observation date: Oct 18, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
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