Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia
Summary 5
The common buckeye or simply, buckeye, (Junonia coenia) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and all parts of the United States except the northwest, and is especially common in the south, the California coast, and throughout Central America and Colombia. The sub-species Junonia coenia bergi is endemic to the island of Bermuda.
Distribution 6
This species occurs in southern Canada east of Saskatchawan, and throughout the United States except for Montana, Idaho, Washington, and western Wyoming. From there it ranges south and east to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Cuba, nearly all of Mexico except southern Baja California.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: island endemic
Habitat 7
Junonia coenia tends to like more open areas such as fields, parks, pastures, meadows, and coastal dunes. You can also find them along roadsides and in other disturbed, weedy places. They are often near their food plants, and may also feed or drink around mud puddles.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; chaparral ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban ; agricultural
Migration 8
Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Flowering plants visited by junonia coenia in illinois 9
Junonia coenia Hübner: Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera
(observations are from Robertson, Hilty, Clinebell, Fothergill & Vaughn; this butterfly is the Common Buckeye)
Asclepiadaceae: Ampelamus albidus plup sn, Asclepias verticillata plup sn; Asteraceae: Aster pilosus sn (Rb), Aster subulatus sn (FV), Boltonia asterioides sn (Rb), Eupatorium altissimum sn (H), Liatris aspera (Cl), Oligoneuron rigidum sn (H); Lamiaceae: Pycnanthemum tenuifolium sn (Rb)
Insect activities:
sn = sucks nectar
Scientific observers:
(Cl) = Clinebell
(H) = John Hilty
(Rb) = Charles Robertson
Conservation status 10
Due to their large abundance, J. coenia is currently not on any endangered species list.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
Threats 11
Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation
Taxonomy 12
Comments: Hybridizes with other JUNONIA (see monograph by j. Hafernik, UC Pub Ent.). Widely variable with different seasonal forms.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Bill Bumgarner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503114554@N01/1581649444
- (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://butterfliesofamerica.com/images/Nymphalidae/Nymphalinae/Junonia_coenia_grisea/Junonia_coenia_grisea_Fall_Cambria_San_Lius_Obispo_Co_CA_USA_19-IX-03_170.jpg
- (c) Mary Thompson, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4660994084_edf37a731f.jpg
- (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6228/6319347070_c6b7c36c2b_o.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junonia_coenia
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31399986
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31399987
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28841587
- (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/32697711
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31399994
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28841581
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28841576
More Info
- iNaturalist.ca taxon page
- Animal Diversity Web
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- BugGuide
- Butterflies and Moths of North America
- CalPhotos
- CUIC Insect Images
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- Maryland Biodiversity Project
- Maryland Moths
- Mass Moths
- Moth Photographers Group
- Moths of North Carolina
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- Pacific Northwest Moths
