Butterflies start a whole chain reaction to life, they are keystone species, next in importance after bees.
Wings of Change is spreading the word about the importance of butterflies in the world. We are educating the community on how butterflies affect everything, including fire safety, drought tolerance, and our health!
Introducing our Butterfly of the Month: the Common Buckeye Butterfly (Junonia coenia). The journey of the Common Buckeye Butterfly is a wonder of nature. Traveling thousands of miles, these butterflies use various cues to navigate their way to their destination.Â
The migration pattern of the Common Buckeye Butterfly is a fascinating phenomenon to observe. It is still unclear how they navigate such long distances, but scientists believe that they use a variety of cues such as the position of the sun, the earth’s magnetic field, and visual landmarks to guide them to their destination.Â
Some of the most common host plants for the Common Buckeye include the False Foxglove, Monkey Flower, Vervain, and Yellow Toadflax. These plants are typically found in open fields and meadows and are often cultivated in gardens to attract butterflies and other pollinators. To create a balanced habitat we recommend our Xerces Wildflower Mix, Good Bug Mix, or our CA Native Wildflower Mix.Â
The appearance of the caterpillars is quite distinct, with striking bluish-black color and yellow to creamy orange stripes and spots. The numerous metallic bluish-black, short-branching spines and raised orange spots on the sides make them even more unique. The black head with an orange top is the perfect finishing touch.
The relationship between these plants and the Common Buckeye Butterfly is a beautiful example of the intricate and essential connections that exist in the natural world.
During their migration, these butterflies not only travel long distances but also cross different habitats, climates, and terrains. The common buckeye is a resident across the southern United States and much of Mexico. The butterfly regularly expands its range northward each year in the warmer months to temporarily colonize much of the U.S., occasionally reaching southern Canada.Â
The Common Buckeye Butterfly hosts plants are members of the snapdragon family, known as Scrophulariaceae. These plants provide food for the buckeye caterpillars and nectar for adult butterflies. Snapdragons are a native of North America.Â
Starting in late summer and continuing through fall, huge numbers of adults migrate southward into warmer weather where the adults overwinter.Â
The Common Buckeye Butterfly is a true beauty of the Americas. Its wings feature unique eye-like spots that help it evade predators. You can spot them fluttering around meadows and fields, sipping nectar as they go. And did you know they even migrate in groups? Come fall, they fly towards warmer weather. What a stunning sight! Flocks of adult butterflies spread their wings and fly down to sunny spots as autumn creeps in, seeking the warm embrace of winter.
Wings of Change is passionate about butterflies and their importance. These winged beauties not only add a touch of charm to nature, but they also play a crucial role as pollinators and a food source for other creatures. Our love for bugs, plants, and the earth motivates us to spread awareness about the impact of habitat loss on these superheroes of nature.
Thank you for being Wings of Change. Together we LEARN, GROW, and CHANGE.
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