Genus Mechanitis 



The caterpillars are smooth, cylindrical, ornamented with rows 

 of short fleshy projections. 



The chrysalids are short and stout, suspended, and marked with 

 golden spots. 



There are numerous species belonging to this genus, all natives 

 of tropical America. The only species said to be found within 

 the limits of the United States occurs, if at all, in southern Cali- 

 fornia. It is, however, probably only found in the lower penin- 

 sula of California, which is Mexican territory- No examples from 

 Upper California are known to the writer. 



(i) Mechanitis californica, Reakirt, Plate VIII, Fig. 2, S 

 (The Californian Long-wing). 



The original description given by Reakirt in the " Proceedings 

 of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia," vol. v, p. 22), is as 

 follows: 



" Expanse, 2.45-2. 56 inches. Fore wing above, brownish-black ; 

 a basal streak over the median nervure, and two rounded spots 

 near the inner angle, orange-tawny; of these the outer is the 

 largest, sometimes the inner is yellow, and sometimes both are 

 nearly obsolete; a spot across the cell near its termination, much 

 narrower than in M. istbmia, and in one example reduced to a 

 mere dot on the median nervure; a more or less interrupted belt 

 across the wing from the costa to near the middle of the outer 

 margin, and an oblong subapical spot, yellow; in the specimen 

 just mentioned there is an additional yellow spot below the 

 medio-central veinlet. 



" Beneath the same, suffused with orange-tawny at the base 

 and the inner angle, with a row of eight or nine submarginal 

 white spots along the outer margin. 



" Hind wing above, orange-tawny, with a broad mesial band, 

 entire, and a narrow outer border, from the middle of the costa to 

 the anal angle, brownish-black. 



" Beneath the same, a yellow spot on the root of the wing; a 

 band runs along the subcostal nervure from the base to the mar- 

 gin, where it is somewhat dilated ; immediately below its termina- 

 tion, a mark in the form of an irregular figure 2, usually with the 

 upper part inordinately enlarged; between this and the base, on 

 the central line of the band above, three small subtriangular spots ; 

 all these markings blackish-brown ; a submarginal row of seven 

 white spots on the outer margin. 



87 



