Delias aroae Ribbe 1900

_{Delias aroae aroae Ribbe 1900

Papua New Guinea, 2003

Photo : Brian Thistleton}

Subspecies and range of Delias aroae :

. aroae Ribbe 1900 - Central Highlands, West Papua to PNG

. yabensis Joicey & Talbot 1922 - Weyland Mounts, Baliem Valley, Papua

Notes on Delias aroae :

Funahashi has reviewed this species in 2012 in Funahashi K., 2012. A taxonomic review of Delias aroae species complex s. str. belonging to New Guinea, Lepidoptera Science 63 (1): 1 - 17

He shows that Delias aroae present a cline from West Papua to PNG with more and more black patterns from West to East.

He shows that Delias balimensis from Baliem Valley is a cline form of Delias aroae aroae, and that Delias yabensis from Weylands is a valid subspecies of Delias aroae, due to somewhat different genitalia (uncus and juxta)