Common Buckeye

Natural Habitat

Common Buckeyes prefer open, sunny areas with low vegetation, such as fields, meadows, cultivated areas, roadsides, and disturbed sites.

Diet & Feeding

Adult Common Buckeyes feed on nectar from various flowers, including aster, chicory, knapweed, and selfheal. Caterpillars primarily feed on plants in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) like plantain (Plantago lanceolata), false foxglove, and snapdragon (Antirrhinum).

Behavior Patterns

The Common Buckeye is often found basking in the sun with its wings open. It has a distinctive, somewhat jerky flight pattern close to the ground, often darting quickly. When disturbed, it may fly a short distance and then land abruptly. The caterpillars feed openly on host plants.

Risks & Benefits

Common Buckeyes pose no risks to humans. As pollinators, they are beneficial to ecosystems, assisting in the reproduction of various flowering plants. Their caterpillars can cause minor defoliation of host plants, but generally not to an extent that causes significant economic damage to crops.

Identified on: 8/29/2025