Common Buckeye

Description:

The bold pattern of eyespots and white bars on the upper wing surface is distinctive in much of its range. The eyespots likely serve to startle or distract predators, especially young birds. The common buckeye or simply, buckeye, (Junonia coenia) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and all parts of the United States except the northwest, and is especially common in the south, the California coast, and throughout Central America and Colombia. The sub-species Junonia coenia bergi is endemic to the island of Bermuda. — Wikipedia

Habitat:

Its habitat is open areas with low vegetation and some bare ground. This species and its relatives were placed formerly in the genus Precis.