Buckeye Butterfly Junonia coenia

The buckeye butterfly is commonly found throughout Ohio. It migrates generally from the far South of the U.S. and as far north as Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine. It prefers open areas without many plants and where the soil is exposed such, as vacant fields and lots and areas around rivers or streams. It is a member of the Nymphalidae (brushfooted) family and can be found in Ohio between July and October. This species has a wingspan of 1.6 to 2.25 inches (4.1 to 5.7 cm). In Ohio there are more than 150 species of butterflies. Twenty-seven different species of butterflies representing five families can be found in the Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook, including all seven species of butterflies that are listed as endangered in Ohio. Butterflies are a part of the order Lepidoptera (from the Greek words lepis, which means scale and pteron, which means wing). There are nearly 17,500 species of butterflies world-wide. Approximately 750 of these can be found in North America