Birds and Blooms Extra – September 01, 2019

The wings

of a common buckeye

remind me of a painter’s

palette. Buckeyes feed

on wildflowers along

old country roads near

my home. I love to

photograph the beauty

around me, especially the

things most people miss.

Willie Powell

MACEO, KENTUCKY

WINGSPAN

2 to 21/2 inches.

DISTINCTIVE

MARKINGS

Brown with orange

bars on forewings;

large yellow-rimmed

black eyespots with

blue centers.

HABITAT

Open sunny spaces,

including fields, gardens,

roadsides; often sits on

bare ground.

C ATERPILL AR

Dark green to gray, with

orange and yellow markings

and black spines.

HOST PLANTS

Snapdragon, plantain,

figwort, vervain,

ruellia and others.

RANGE

Most common in the

South, but familiar across

much of the U.S.

I was thrilled

to see a beautiful buckeye

butterfly enjoying the

flowers in my garden.

I don’t see this species

often, so it was a treat

to photograph it.

Joni Walker

COLUMBIA CITY, INDIANA

Common

Buckeye

Buckeye

caterpillar

SEPTEMBER EXTRA 2019 birdsandblooms.com 67

CATERPILLAR: SKYF/ISTOCK