Junonia coenia
"Buckeye"
Family: Nymphalidae
The Buckeye butterfly ranges from southern Canada through the US to tropical America and Cuba. The butterfly's habitat is most commonly clearings, fields, roadsides, fencerows, streamsides, thorn forest, coastal bermuda, and other grasslands. The following are the basic mature characteristics of the Buckeye. The wingspan of the Buckeye ranges from around 4 to 6 centimeters. Its upper side of he wings is brown with two eyespots on each wing. The front spot on the forewing is very small, and the rear spot on the forewing is very large. The front spot on the hind wing is the largest with rainbow colors, and the rear spot on the hind wing is small. Also, the forewing has markings of orange and white bars. On the under side of the forewing, the markings are very similar to those on the top, while on the under side of the hind wing, the eyespots are obscure or absent. Some species that are similar to the Buckeye are the Peacock and the Dark Peacock. In the early stages, the larva is gray with yellow markings and black spines. In the larval stage, some of the Buckeye's favorite foods are Plantains, monkey flowers, snapdragons, and verbena.
The adult Buckeyes have a long flight season that continues well into late fall and may continue over winter, appearing on warm days. Also, the adults are aggressive and often chase other butterflies. The adult Buckeye is attracted to rotting organic matter or enticed by the excrement or urine of animals. It is also attracted to many flowers such as the aster, coreopsis, knapweed, and chicory.
Kenn O. Jameson, Matt Rollins, & Zeke Lynam
ENT 301; Fall 2001
