These butterflies prefer open, sunny areas with low vegetation and some bare ground. Males perch during the day to watch for females, flying periodically to patrol or to chase other flying insects. Females lay eggs singly on leaf buds or on the upperside of host plant leaves upon which the caterpillar feeds (including plants from the snapdragon, plantain and acanthus families). Adult butterflies live for about 10 days. Their caterpillars are solid black in color and spend most of their time alone eating leaves. Upon reaching adulthood, common buckeyes feed on the nectar of such plants as aster, chickory, tickseed and peppermint. The Common Buckeye is found throughout the southern
Amazing Insects
Encyclopedia of Ohio History
