The Gray Buckeye butterfly (Junonia grisea) is a common sight in meadows, on dirt roads, and around stream beds on the north coast. In the language of the Tolow Dee-ni’ Nation, ch’vsh-k’i means “butterfly”. Gray buckeyes have distinctive, eye-shaped markings called “ocelli” that confuse predators but make them easy for humans to identify. These butterflies can be found west of the rockies, and are a relatively common species on the north coast. Once thought to be a subspecies of the Common Buckeye, Gray Buckeyes were designated as their own species in 2018.
Photos: Tracie Hall, Melissa McMasters on Flickr
Sources: inaturalist.org, socalbutterflies.com, peecnature.org