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Common Buckeye Butterfly

Common Buckeye Butterfly line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Common Buckeye Butterfly full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Common Buckeye Butterfly was completed on 3.28.2010. Butterflies are always a pleasure to draw, although the patterns and "powdered" textures of the wings can be a challenge. Recently, on a trip near Lake Shasta in California, I came across a meadow teaming with these butterflies. It was quite a sight. This illustration is based on a photo by Bill Bouton.

Information about the Common Buckeye Butterfly:

The Common Buckeye is a small butterfly with a wingspan of only 2-2.5 inches. They belong to the family Nymphalidae or the "Brush-Footed Butterflies". These insects are found throughout much of North America, down into Central America into Columbia. They prefer open, sunny areas with low vegetation and some areas of bare ground. Like other butterflies, the adults feed on nectar and will get moisture from mud and areas of damp sand. Adult Common Buckeyes generally only live 10 days.