• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Brushfooted Butterflies
  • Snouts
  • Heliconians and Fritillaries
  • True Brushfoots
  • Admirals and Relatives
  • Leafwings
  • Emperors
  • Satyrs
  • Monarchs
• True Brushfoots
  • Gorgone Checkerspot
  • Silvery Checkerspot
  • Harris’ Checkerspot
  • Pearl Crescent
  • Northern Crescent
  • Tawny Crescent
  • Baltimore Checkerspot
  • Question Mark
  • Eastern Comma
  • Satyr Comma
  • Green Comma
  • Gray Comma
  • Compton Tortoiseshell
  • California Tortoiseshell
  • Mourning Cloak
  • Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
  • American Lady
  • Painted Lady
  • Red Admiral
  • Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

(Junonia coenia)

The Common Buckeye is not a common butterfly in Wisconsin, but as an immigrant from farther south, it makes it to Wisconsin on a fairly regular basis and is always a pleasure to see. In an article about immigrant butterflies in Wisconsin from 1987 to 2001 in the News of the Lepidoptera Society, Ann Swengel noted that they saw this species 13 of the 15 years, but only saw 210 individuals.

Identifying characteristics: Above, the Common Buckeye is a brownish butterfly with two orange bars on near the leading edge of the forewing, a white band on the forewing, and large eyespots that make identifying this butterfly very easy in Wisconsin. Below, this species is much paler, especially on the hindwing, and sometimes the large eyespot is partially hidden. The orange and white bars are similar to the forewings above, but the eyespots on the hindwing are much reduced.

Similar species: None in Wisconsin.

Habitat: Open, dry fields, roadsides, trails, and waste areas.

Flight: This species may be double brooded in Wisconsin, especially when the immigrants get to the state in early May. I usually see this species in late June and early July, but I took the top photo of a mated pair on August 29th.

Abundance: Not a common butterfly in Wisconsin. On July 15, 2005, I saw three Common Buckeyes, the most that I have ever seen in one day.

Recent Common Buckeye Sightings

Date seen	County	Reported by
Yesterday	Kenosha	Cindy Donegan
Sunday	Green	Craig Ellefson
Saturday	Green	Ann Thering and Dave Eide
08–11–2008	Iowa	Ann Thering
08–10–2008	Green	Jeanette Klodzen
08–10–2008	Jefferson	Peter Fissel
08–09–2008	Milwaukee	Judith Huf
08–09–2008	Iowa	SWBA Field Trip: 14 participants
08–07–2008	Iowa	Mike Reese
08–03–2008	Portage	Wayne Anderson

Submit a Common Buckeye sighting »