Immature stages of Mechanitis lysimnia nesaea (Nymphalidae: Danainae: Ithomiini).

The immature stages (eggs, larvae and pupae), larval behavior, oviposition and host plant of Mechanitis lysimnia nesaea Hübner, [1820] are described for the first time. Eggs are laid in clusters on the upper side of leaves of its solanaceous hostplants. The larvae are gregarious and undergo five instars. The first instar head capsule is black and the body is translucent yellow. From the second instar on, the body changes to bluish gray with yellow stripes, with colors becoming more vivid in the last instar. Initially, the pupa is yellow, turning reflective (silvery/golden) with dark contours on the wing cases and abdomen after the first day. A comparison with other species of Mechanitis shows that, despite their similarities, the early stages are informative at the species level, and could help to understand the species limits in the currently non-monophyletic species in this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]