Common Buckeye Butterflies in the Garden
A Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia, alights on a ‘Wave’ petunia
It’s the middle of October and we’re still seeing butterflies in the garden, although I haven’t seen one of these Common Buckeyes in a few weeks. Last September, they seemed to suddenly appear and were all over our petunias, lantana, butterfly bushes and verbena. The markings on their wings, which of course is where they got their name, are so striking they’re hard to miss. There are actually two kinds of Buckeye butterflies: the Common Buckeye and the Mangrove Buckeye. These photos depict the Common Buckeye, which is identified by the broad white bands surrounding the “eye spots” on it’s wings. The Mangrove Buckeye do not have these white bands.
Buckeyes are common to North and Central America (although evidently they are not seen in the Pacific Northwest). The “eyespots” on their wings are meant to deter predators, in particular birds. (Their wingspan is approximately 2 inches.)
Buckeye host plants include those in the snapdragon family, plantain, acanthus and linaria. Adults feed on nectar producing plants like those seen in these photos as well as those in the astercae family.
Adult buckeyes migrate north during breeding months and south for winter. Common Buckeye butterflies can easily be spotted in open fields, meadows and gardens with plentiful nectar-producing plants.
Love these pictures and descriptions!
I saw one of those while I was up in the mountains this past summer. It was amazing.
And during the past two weeks I must have seen 150 or more Monarchs on their way south. I’d notice them flying while driving around town to take the boy to school, go get groceries, out in the back yard. I don’t recall ever seeing so many before. I know they have a long way to go and I guess they knew to get gone before it got so cold they couldn’t take it, but there were sooooo many, it was amazing. Never had my camera with me when I spotted them either. A few here, one there, a couple here, but every single day I’d see at least 10 or more.
Oh WOW, that sounds absolutely amazing. How wonderful that you were able to experience that!