The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Common Buckeye

Junonia coenia, Hübner, (1822)

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Tribe Junoniini

Taxonomy

The family Nymphalidae is the largest butterfly family and includes about 6,000 species which are further divided up into 12 subfamilies.  The common name for the family is the Brushfoots or Brushfooted Butterflies.  This strange name is because the first pair of legs are significantly reduced, sometimes to mere stubs, and look like little brushes.  Some of the most common and well known species are in this group such as the Monarch, Red Admiral, Blue Morpho and Painted Lady.  Some of the longest lived butterflies are in this family with some species living over 10 months as adults.  The Brushfoots are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity found in the tropics.  With this variety, there is also quite a difference in behavior, adult food choices and habitat preference from species to species.

Junonia coenia, captured by crab spider, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 23 September 2005                                        Ref #:  SP-168-18.2

Junonia coenia, wing detail, specimen from Minot State University collection, North Dakota                                                                                         Ref #: PA-4-6.3

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Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 October 2005                                                                               Ref #:  I-333-14

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 11 July 2009                                                                                           Ref #:  I-425-17

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 29 September 2005                                                                         Ref #:  I-328-19.7

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 October 2005                                                                             Ref #:  I-333-16.2

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 October 2005                                                                            Ref #:  I-333-12.4

Junonia coenia, Pontotoc Ridge Preserve, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, 25 September 2010                                                                                         Ref #:  I-459-9.3

Junonia coenia, Pontotoc Ridge Preserve, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, 25 September 2010                                                                                         Ref #:  I-459-5.1

Junonia coenia, Camp McFadden, Kaw Lake, Kay County, Oklahoma, 8 October 2010

                                                                                               Ref #:  I-460-3.2

Junonia coenia, McGee Creek Wildlife Management Area, Atoka County, Oklahoma, 12 October 2011                                                                                Ref #:  I-494-8

General Information:

Junonia coenia belongs to the subfamily Nymphalinae.  Its range is from the southern United States and north along the coasts to central California and North Carolina; south to Bermuda, Cuba, Isle of Pines, and southern Mexico.  Adults from the souths first brood migrate north in late spring and summer to temporarily colonize most of the United States and parts of southern Canada.  Its preferred habitat includes open, sunny areas with low vegetation and some bare ground.

Lifecycle:

The larval food source includes plants from the snapdragon family such as snapdragon, Antirrhinum sp., and toadflax, Linaria sp., as well as the plantain family including plantains, Plantago sp., and the acanthus family including ruellia, Ruellia nodiflora.  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.

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 29 September 2005                                                                         Ref #:  I-327-14.6

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 17 October 2006                                                                             Ref #:  I-361-12.3

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 9 May 2012                                                                                       Ref #:  I-506-17.1

Junonia coenia, Pontotoc Ridge Preserve, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, 19 May 2012

                                                                                             Ref #:  I-518-13.5

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 16 May 2012                                                                                 Ref #:  I-513-12.2

Junonia coenia, larva, Pontotoc Ridge Preserve, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, 19 May 2012                                                                                       Ref #:  I-516-16.3

Junonia coenia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 16 May 2012                                                                                   Ref #:  I-512-3.3