Common Buckeye Butterfly

butterfly · north america · camouflage

Eye-Spot Patterns. The common buckeye has big, bold eye-spots on its wings that look like owl eyes. These fake eyes trick predators into thinking the butterfly is a much bigger, scarier animal.

African Ancestors. Scientists traced the buckeye's family tree all the way back to Africa. From there, these butterflies spread to Asia and eventually made their way to North and Central America.

Sunny, Open Homes. Buckeyes love open, sunny spaces like fields and sand dunes where they can spread their wings. They live in areas with low plants and some bare ground, from sea level up to about 4,300 feet high.

Wide Range. You can find common buckeyes across most of the eastern United States, the lower Midwest, the Southwest, and into Mexico and Central America. Some even show up in southern Canada as wandering visitors.

Sister Species. There is a close relative called the gray buckeye that lives west of the Rocky Mountains. It used to be considered just a different version of the common buckeye, but scientists now know it's its own separate species.