The common buckeye or simply, buckeye, 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.
Similar species: Moths And Butterflies
By Flown Kimmerling
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Uploaded Sep 4, 2018. Captured Aug 30, 2018 23:22 in 109 N Wall St, Calhoun, GA 30701, USA.
comments (16)
I was lucky to see one in this great of condition too! Those blue/purple/pink/black eyespots are so fresh! Posted 7 years ago
"The Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) is a beautiful butterfly with conspicuous eyespots. The herbivorous caterpillars of this species prefer to feed on plants that produce iridoid glycosides, which are bitter compounds produced as a defense against herbivores! Iridoids deter feeding and inhibit the growth of insects that dare to feed on the plants containing them. However, common buckeye caterpillars sequester the iridoid glycosides, which they recycle and use as a defense against predation, thus successfully creating an enemy-free space to live and feed in. The caterpillars accumulate iridoid glycosides in amounts as high as 15% of their body weight! It is unclear how the caterpillars ingest such large amounts of these compounds without enduring severe, negative effects. They may be able to excrete some of the compounds in their frass (poop), or perhaps they are able to metabolize them. Whatever the physiological mechanism is that they use to survive such high concentrations, it is clear that common buckeyes have found a way to sequester these compounds and use them to their advantage without suffering any serious detrimental effects! {Spotted in Georgia, USA by JungleDragon moderator, Lisa Kimmerling} #JungleDragon" Posted 6 years ago