Common Buckeye Butterfly
Taxonomic Hierarchy Photo
Kingdom: Animalia -- animal
Phylum: Arthropoda -- arthropods
      Subphylum: Hexapoda -- hexapods
Class: hexapoda -- insects

      Subclass:

 Pterygota -- iwinged insects
           Infraclass: Neoptera -- modern, wing-folding insects
Order: Lepidoptera -- butterflies, moths
Superfamily: Papilionoidea -- butterflies
      Family: Nymphalidae -- admirals, anglewings, brush-footed butterflies
           Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Genus: Junonia
Species: Junonia coenia
IMGP3410.JPG (154775 bytes)

United States Range Map

  

California Range Map

Adult Sexes Similar
IMGP3410.JPG (154775 bytes)
 
Identification:   Life history:
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.   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:   Wing Span:
Two to three broods from May-October, throughout the year in the Deep South.   1 5/8 - 2 3/4 inches (4.2 - 7 cm).

Caterpillar Hosts:

   Adult Food:
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).   Favorite nectar sources are composites including aster, chickory, gumweed, knapweed, and tickseed sunflower. Dogbane, peppermint, and other flowers are also visited.
Habitat:   Season:
Open, sunny areas with low vegetation and some bare ground.   Two to three broods from May-October, throughout the year in the Deep South.
Remarks:   Conservation:
    Not required.

NatureServe Global Status: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

Sources used to Construct this Page:  
            
 

Additional Photos

Adult Sexes Similar
       
 

All photos © 2008 Rick Swartzentrover - Free for non-profit use.

Home     Bible     Photos     Hiking Photos     Cults     E-Books     Family Tree     Politics     E-mail
NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization.

Global ranks indicate the rarity of a species at a global scale. Species may be fairly common globally but imperiled locally. Global ranks have the following meaning:

  • G1 - Critically Imperiled - At very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer populations), very steep declines, or other factors.
  • G2 - Imperiled - At high risk of extinction due to very restricted range, very few populations (often 20 or fewer), steep declines, or other factors.
  • G3 - Vulnerable - At moderate risk of extinction due to a restricted range, relatively few populations (often 80 or fewer), recent and widespread declines, or other factors.
  • G4 - Apparently Secure - Uncommon but not rare; some cause for long-term concern due to declines or other factors.
  • G5 - Secure - Common; widespread and abundant.
  • * ? or Q = status unknown or uncertain