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 49 - 72 of 9038 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jul 21, 2025
Submitted by: connie crosson
Region: Dunklin County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 23, 2025
Observation date: Jul 19, 2025
Submitted by: vsantiagoam
Region: Durham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 20, 2025
Observation date: Sep 20, 2023
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 13, 2025
Observation date: Nov 01, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Sep 03, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Sep 25, 2022
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Sep 19, 2021
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: houdini73
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 09, 2025
Observation date: Jul 07, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Oct 09, 2023
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Sep 01, 2024
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Aug 30, 2024
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Sep 02, 2024
Submitted by: Bookworm86
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: May 08, 1994
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 30, 2025
Observation date: Jun 23, 2025
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 23, 2025
Observation date: Jun 09, 2025
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Texas, Williamson County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 09, 2025
Observation date: Apr 28, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 08, 2025
Observation date: Apr 29, 2025
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 01, 2025
Observation date: Apr 27, 2025
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2025
Observation date: Apr 26, 2025
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 29, 2025
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