Junonia coenia

Common card · No. 313815

Junonia coenia, known as the common buckeye or buckeye, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found as a resident or vagrant across much of North America and Central America, as well as in parts of northern South America. This includes most of the eastern half of the US, the lower to middle Midwest, the Southwest (including most of California), southern Canada, and Mexico. Its habitat includes fields, dunes and scrub, typically in sunny environments up to 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in altitude. It can be found in open areas with low vegetation and some bare ground. Its original ancestry has been traced to Africa, which then experienced divergence in Asia. The species Junonia grisea, the gray buckeye, is found west of the Rocky Mountains and was formerly a subspecies of Junonia coenia. Caterpillars of these butterflies appear to prefer plants that produce iridoid glycosides, which are bitter compounds that release a hormone called gastrin that activates the digestive system (i.e....

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