Insect · GBIF taxon 5130514
Common Buckeye
Junonia coeniaAlso known as Buckeye, Buckeye Butterfly
Common buckeyes feature bold, owl-like eyespots on their wings that startle hungry birds and deflect attacks away from their vital organs. Adult males defend sunlit territories aggressively from perches on bare ground, launching quick aerial sorties at passing insects or curious onlookers. As autumn approaches, northern populations migrate southward in large numbers along coastal corridors to escape freezing winter temperatures.
DiurnalMigratoryInsect
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Flower Nectar
- Tree Sap
- Mud Nutrients
Predators
- Songbirds
- Spiders
- Praying Mantises
ThreatsSevere winter freezes, pesticide spraying, and loss of open field habitat
HabitatsFields, pastures, coastal dunes, roadsides, and disturbed sunny open ground
Life span1 to 2 weeks as adult (up to several months for overwintering generations)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyNymphalidae
- SpeciesJunonia coenia
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Basking Spots: Look for adults sunning themselves on patches of bare soil, gravel, or paved paths.
- Territorial Behavior: Watch males perch on low vegetation to chase away intruding butterflies.
- Nectar Planting: Add late-blooming composites like asters and goldenrod to attract autumn migrators.
Host Plant (c) lemonsnapp, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Irene · cc0
Close Relative (c) Carlos Alexandre Mattos Raposo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Carlos Alexandre Mattos Raposo · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Diego Carús · cc0
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