Delias butterflies

wollastoni-delias.png

Delias frater  Jordan 1911 yellow.png

Subspecies and range of Delias frater :

. frater Jordan 1911 - Mt. Goliath, Langda, Papua ; Western Prov.,PNG

. soror Toxopeus 1944 - Korupun, Papua

. far Schröder & Treadaway 1982 - Paniaia, Papua

 

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Notes on Delias frater :

The true position of this species is still in dispute. For a very long time, this was considered to be a subspecies of Delias eichhorni, however the main body of learned opinion now considers it to be separate. Without adequate specimens available to me to argue this, I will follow the majority!

Original Description- Jordan (1911, Novitates Zoologicae xii)- "Male & Female: A subspecies eichh. eichhorni dicta alis anticus subtus macula nigra discocellulari plus duplo angustiore facile distinguenda.

The white area on the upper surface of the fore wing is smaller and more diffuse at the edges than in D.e.eichhorni and in one of the males so much diffused with black as to be almost entirely suppressed. the black discocellular bar of the underside of the fore wing measures only 1mm. or less in width, and is angulate, being sometimes almost interrupted before R² (vein 5)".

Group eichhorni species :