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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Junonia coenia
Lepidoptera / Nymphalidae
Junonia coenia is an eastern North American buckeye with conspicuous eyespots, white forewing bands and orange bars. Its hindwing underside changes seasonally, from tan-brown to a richer reddish-brown.
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Junonia coenia is a brush-footed butterfly. Genomic comparisons distinguish it from the western species J. grisea and from the dark buckeyes J. nigrosuffusa and J. stemosa. [2]
The forewing has two orange cell bars and a broad white band adjoining a large eyespot. Two prominent eyespots and an orange outer band mark each hindwing. Adults span 45–70 mm; females are usually larger with rounder forewings. [1]
Florida populations produce repeated generations, with adults present through much of the year. Females lay single green eggs on host leaves; mature larvae are black with blue-black branched spines. [1]
Documented Florida hosts include plantains, Plantago species; false foxgloves, Agalinis species; and fogfruit, Phyla nodiflora. [1]
Adults fly rapidly and irregularly near the ground. Males commonly perch on low vegetation or bare soil. [1]
The genomic study found that mitochondrial DNA alone could not reliably separate the examined Junonia species, whereas nuclear-genome comparisons resolved their boundaries. [2]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Jaret C. Daniels, University of Florida IFAS Extension · Accessed 2026-10-11
Cong, Zhang, Shen, Cao, Brévignon and Grishin, Systematic Entomology 45(4), 803–837 (2020) · Accessed 2026-10-11
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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