Junonia coenia

Common Buckeye

Introduction:

Common buckeye butterflies are colored mostly brown with some orange, black, white, blue, and magenta. The forewing features two proximal orange bars and a postmedian white band, which surrounds a prominent black eyespot and borders a smaller, more distal eyespot; both eyespots have a bluish center and each border a distal orange mark. The hindwing is mostly brown with an orange band towards the edge and a brown and white margin. It also has two eyespots, one larger and one smaller, each with a black and white outline.
Life Cycle:

Size 2-2.5 inches (5-6.5 cm)
Sexual Dimorphism: false
Metamorphosis: complete (egg, larva, pupa, adult)

Insect Data

Names and Taxonomy

Common Names: common buckeye or buckeye
Synonyms:
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Family: Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus Information: 1 species in NV, 3 in CA, 5 in US

Distribution

Distribution: widely distributed across temperate regions of North Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean
Seen: Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
Habitat: moist woodlands
Food: Adult Common buckeyes are attracted to the nectar of numerous flowers, including those in the aster family. Common buckeye caterpillars feed on the leaves of various herbaceous plants. These include plantains (like the lawn plantain, Plantago), snapdragons (Antirrhinum), false foxgloves (Agalinis), and false loosestrife (Ludvigia).