Mestra the Beatrix

Gender: Female
Origin: Greek
Meaning: One who woos or courts a lover. One who seeks or solicits marriage.

In Greek mythology, Mestra (Ancient Greek: Μήστρα, Mēstra) was a daughter of Erysichthon of Thessaly. Antoninus Liberalis called her Hypermestra and Erysichthon Aethon.

Mestra is a genus of nymphalid butterfly. It contains the single species Mestra dorcas, the Jamaican mestra, which is found from southern North America to South America and possibly Mestra cana, the St Lucia mestra, found in the Lesser Antilles (though this may be a misidentification).

The wingspan is 35–50 mm. Adults are on wing year round in southern Texas, but it is most numerous from June to November. They have been recorded feeding on the nectar of Lantana flowers.