Master Gardeners of Ventura County
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Master Gardeners of Ventura County

Posts Tagged: buckeye butterfly

The Buck (Eye) Stops Here

The buck stops here. The buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia), that is. Whether it's doing the fandago on the plantago, the can-can on the lantana or the waltz on the sedum, it's easy to spot. That's because of its large eyelike circles on its...

Buckeye (Junonia coenia) spreads its wings on sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Buckeye (Junonia coenia) spreads its wings on sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye (Junonia coenia) spreads its wings on sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye perched on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Buckeye perched on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye perched on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye ready to flutter away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Buckeye ready to flutter away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye ready to flutter away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 9:39 PM

Shall We Prey?

The California Buckeye (Junonia coenia), with its bold eyespots and white bars, is an easily recognizable butterfly. The problem: getting close enough for a photo and then patiently waiting for it to open its wings. At the first indication of danger, it...

Buckeye spreads it wings on an African daisy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Buckeye spreads it wings on an African daisy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye spreads it wings on an African daisy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Shattered Buckeye, probably the work of a praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Shattered Buckeye, probably the work of a praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Shattered Buckeye, probably the work of a praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The predator? Could have been this praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The predator? Could have been this praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The predator? Could have been this praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 8:27 PM

The Eyes Have It

The eyespots--they're almost hypnotic. And that's what makes the buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) so easily recognizable--the bold pattern of eyespots on the wings, bold enough to startle and scare away prey.This buckeye (below) fluttered along the...

Buckeye Butterfly
Buckeye Butterfly

EYESPOTS on the wings of a buckeye butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 8:55 PM

Seeing Spots

If you've seen a lot of buckeye butterflies this season, you're not alone.It's a big year for buckeyes, says noted butterfly expert Arthur Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis. He counts between "30 and 85 a...

Buckeye Butterfly
Buckeye Butterfly

BUCKEYE BUTTERFLY (Junonia coenia) nectars on a zinnia, a member of the aster family. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up
Close-up

LIKE AN AIRPLANE in flight, a buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) glides to a zinnia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 5:40 PM

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