Mechanitis

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Nymphalidae
Subfamilia: Danainae
Tribus: Ithomiini
Subtribus: Mechanitina
Genus: Mechanitis
Species (4): M. lysimnia – M. mazaeus – M. menapis – M. polymnia
Name

Mechanitis Fabricius, 1807: Mag. f. Insektenk. (Illiger), 6, 284.
References

Fox, R.M. 1967: A monograph of the Ithomiidae (Lepidoptera). Part III. The tribe Mechanitini Fox. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society, (22): 152–172. Full article (PDF)Reference page.
Lamas, G., 2004, Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera; Checklist Part 4A; Hesperioidea-Papilionoidea

Mechanitis is a genus of tigerwing (Ithomiini) butterflies, named by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1807. They are in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. It has gained fame due to the metallic appearance of the chrysalis in certain phenotypes.
Species

Arranged alphabetically:[1][2]

Mechanitis lysimnia (Fabricius, 1793) – confused tigerwing
Mechanitis mazaeus Hewitson, 1860 – Mazaeus tigerwing
Mechanitis menapis Hewitson, [1856] – variable tigerwing
Mechanitis polymnia (Linnaeus, 1758) – disturbed tigerwing, orange-spotted tiger clearwing

References

"Mechanitis Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
Glassberg, J. (2007) A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America. Sunstreak Book Inc.