The Buckeye Adult Series

Here is a photo of two males and two female buckeyes. The males are on the left and the underside (ventral surfaces) are below.

The Buckeye form "rosa"

Buckeyes that fly in the later summer and fall tend to be darker on the upperside with restricted ocelli (eyespots) whereas the underside hind wing has a pinkish tint.  This form can be artificially produced under lab rearing conditions if larvae are exposed to short days and/or colder temperatures.

Buckeye Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Once you notice adults on the wing, it is usually not too difficult to find buckeye caterpillars hiding in and around its host plant (plantain) in agricultural areas, disturbed areas, canals, or along waterways near St. George, Utah; Mesquite, Nevada; Las Vegas, Nevada; Cottonwood, Arizona and in other locations in Arizona and Southern California.  Buckeye caterpillars can also be found on snapdragon near desert creeks and dry gullies.

Obtaining Eggs from Buckeye Females

If you can't locate buckeye eggs or caterpillars; another option is to take a butterfly net and to try and catch a female buckeye.  Then, place cuttings of plantain or snapdragon in a cage and place a live female buckeye inside to lay eggs.  Click here to watch a short video.  Another option is to observe a live female lay eggs and then collect the eggs.  Here is another video that demonstrates that.

Buckeye egg

Here is a photo of a buckeye ovum on plantain.  Photo courtesy Nicky Davis.

Buckeye First Instar Caterpillar

After your egg or eggs hatch, place larva on cuttings of host plant.  This is a photo of young hatchling caterpillar burrowing into plantain.  (Photo courtesy Nicky Davis.)

Raising Buckeyes in Squat Tubs

One option to raise buckeyes is to place host cuttings in a squat tub.  Poke holes in your lid and replace host plant and frass roughly every day to every other day.  This can be a practical method for raising a single buckeye larva where you don't mind babysitting your caterpillar frequently.

Raising Buckeyes in Squat Tubs II

The drawback to raising buckeyes in squat tubs happens when you have too many caterpillars (>5) where there is too much frass (caterpillar poop.)  Caterpillars can get sick and die if overexposed to its own frass.  If you do use this method.  Remove frass frequently--daily if you can.

Raising Buckeyes in Open Bucket

Another option of raising buckeyes includes placing cuttings of plantain or snap dragon in a water bottle.  Plug sufficiently so that larvae can't crawl into the neck of the water bottle and drown.  By using cuttings in water in this fashion, your host plant will last longer--up to 4-5 days.  Still be diligent in removing frass every other day or so.

Buckeye Caterpillars on Plantain

Buckeye late instar caterpillars rest on a huge leaf of plantain.  (Plantago major.)

Raising Buckeyes in Open Bucket II

When you have set up cuttings in water.  Place that in a five or six gallon bucket.  Cut a hole in the lid of the bucket and attach butterfly net material to the lid so that frass is allowed to dry in your rearing setup.  Examples of this rearing technique can be found here.

Buckeye Last Instar Caterpillar

Buckeye caterpillars will grow and molt their skins five times before hanging to form a chrysalis.  This picture is a fifth instar caterpillar.  When raising buckeye caterpillars, if you are inexperienced at handling caterpillars, it is best to cut around the caterpillar when and placing it on fresh host when you change out the plant.

Buckeye Last Instar Caterpillar II

Photo courtesy Nicky Davis.

Buckeye Prepupa

When a buckeye caterpillar fifth or last instar larva has finished feeding, it will crawl underneath either a leaf or twig, attach its end with silk (cremaster), and form a 'J'.  A few days later it will molt its skin and form a chrysalis (pupate.) Photo courtesy Nicky Davis.

Attaching Buckeye Chrysalis to Emergence Container Lid

In order to successfully emerge the adult butterfly 8 - 12 days later, cut around the chrysalis with scissors and attach to the lid of an emergence container (any small squat tub will do nicely.)

Emergence Container

Buckeye emerges from its chrysalis

Photo collage of a buckeye pupa developing and emerging from its chrysalis into an adult butterfly.  Photos courtesy Nicky Davis.