''Junonia genoveva'', the mangrove buckeye, is a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

of the family

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

. The species was first described by

Pieter Cramer Pieter Cramer (21 May 1721 (baptized) – 28 September 1776), was a wealthy Dutch merchant in linen and Spanish wool, remembered as an entomologist. Cramer was the director of the Zealand Society, a scientific society located in Flushing, and a mem ...

in 1780. It is found in South America, and possibly into Central America. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is 45–57 mm. The butterfly is easily confused with ''

Junonia evarete ''Junonia evarete'' (Cramer, 1779), the tropical buckeye or South American tropical buckeye, is a South American butterfly of the nymphalid (Nymphalidae) family. It has characteristic eye spots on the wings, which have a wingspan between 4.5 and ...

'', the tropical buckeye, also found in South America. Not only have the common names mangrove and tropical buckeye been confused, but the two species of butterflies themselves have been sometimes misidentified in past literature. Recent consensus designated ''Junonia genoveva'' the mangrove buckeye and ''Junonia evarete'' the tropical buckeye. Recent research and reclassification has determined that these species occur in South America. The species ''

Junonia neildi ''Junonia neildi'', the West indian mangrove buckeye, is a species in the butterfly family Nymphalidae. This species was formerly a subspecies of ''Junonia genoveva''. It is found in Florida, south Texas, Mexico, and the Caribbean. After its spl ...

'', the West Indian mangrove buckeye, was formerly a subspecies of ''Junonia genoveva''. It is found in Florida, south Texas, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Its split from ''Junonia genoveva'' left ''Junonia genoveva'' as a South American species. The only members of the genus ''Junonia'' currently found in Florida are ''Junonia neildi'', ''

Junonia coenia ''Junonia coenia'', known as the common buckeye or buckeye, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and in Mexico. Its habitat is open areas with low vegetation and some bare ground. ...

'', and '' Junonia zonalis''. With recent reclassification of some ''Junonia'' species, the mangrove buckeye ''Junonia genoveva'' is confined primarily to South America, and is not found in North America or the Caribbean. The West Indian mangrove buckeye, ''Junonia neildi'', is found in the West Indies, Florida, south Texas, and Mexico (as mentioned above). The Pacific mangrove buckeye, ''Junonia pacoma'' is found on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The South American mangrove buckeye, Junonia litoralis, is found along the coast of tropical South America and possibly into Central America. The larvae have been recorded on '' Stachytarpheta'', ''

Ruellia tuberosa ''Ruellia tuberosa'', also known as minnieroot, fever root, snapdragon root and sheep potato ( th, ต้อยติ่ง), is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. Its native range is in Central America but presently it has ...

'' and ''

Blechum ''Ruellia'' is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias. They are not closely related to petunias (''Petunia'') although both genera belong to the same euasterid clade. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle (1 ...

'' in Jamaica. Adults feed on flower nectar.

Subspecies

*''Junonia genoveva genoveva'' (Suriname) *''Junonia genoveva constricta'' (Venezuela, Colombia) *''Junonia genoveva hilaris'' (Paraguay, Uruguay) *''Junonia genoveva incarnata'' (Colombia, Venezuela) *''Junonia genoveva infuscata'' (Ecuador) *''Junonia genoveva michaelisi'' (Central America, Honduras, Florida (US), Bahamas, Antilles, Puerto Rico) *''Junonia genoveva vivida'' (Guyana, Suriname) Junonia genoveva genoveva MHNT dos.jpg, ''J. g. genoveva'' - MHNT Junonia genoveva genoveva MHNT ventre.jpg, ''J. g. genoveva'' underside - MHNT

References

External links

*
''Noctuidae of North America''

genoveva ''Genoveva'', Op. 81, is an opera in four acts by Robert Schumann in the genre of German Romanticism with a libretto by Robert Reinick and the composer. The only opera Schumann ever wrote, it received its first performance on 25 June 1850 at ...

Butterflies of North America Butterflies of Central America Butterflies of the Caribbean Nymphalidae of South America Mangrove fauna Butterflies of Cuba Butterflies of Jamaica Lepidoptera of Brazil {{Nymphalinae-stub