Immature stages of Mechanitis polymnia casabranca (Nymphalidae, Danainae)
Authors
Márcio Romero Marques Carvalho
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Caixa Postal 6109, 13083-970 Campinas
Eduardo Proença Barbosa
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Caixa Postal 6109, 13083-970 Campinas
André Victor Lucci Freitas
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Caixa Postal 6109, 13083-970 Campinas
Abstract
The immature stages of the butterfly Mechanitis polymnia casabranca (Haensch, 1905) are described in detail. The eggs are ellipsoidal, taller than wide, white and laid in clusters on the upper surface of mature leaves of Solanaceae host plants. The larva passes through five instars. The first instar head capsule is black and the body is translucent white. From the second instar on, the head capsule changes to light brown, and the body changes to light gray, turning bluish yellow before pupation. Initially, the pupa is yellow with black markings, turning reflective silvery after the first day. The immature stages are similar to other species of Mechanitis, however it is possible to differentiate the larvae of M. polymnia by the light brown head capsule in the second and subsequent instars.