Delias butterflies

wollastoni-delias.png

Delias themis Hewitson 1861 green.png

delias-themis-live-picture.png
Delias themis soteira (male)
Los Baños, Luzon, Philippines
6 January 2019
Picture by Peter Quakenbush

Subspecies and range of Delias themis : 

. themis Hewitson 1861 - Mindanao, Panaon, Leyte, Camiguin & Bohol islands

. soteira Fruhstorfer 1910 -  Luzon, Marinduque & Polillo islands

. mihoae Nakano 1993 - Negros island

. yuii Nakano 1993 - Panai island

. kawamurai Nakano 1993 - Mindoro island

. intrae ?

delias-themis.png

 

Notes on Delias themis : 

 

The upperside resembles D.singhapura, but with prominent white submarginal spots. The underside of the hind wing is yellow without any vein stripes, but with a wide black-brown marginal border surrounding white submarginal spots.

The species is confined to the islands of the Philippines.

Male: Upperside fore wing apical black area sharply defined and not reaching below vein 2, extending to the cell and to half or two-thirds of cellule 3. Submarginal spots indistinctly marked. Hind wing with broad blackish marginal border, its inner edge usually nebulous. A series of white submarginal spots not well defined.
Underside of fore wing with costa and apical half brownish-black. A subcostal bar of four white spots beyond end of cell, divided by the black veins; veins 2 and 3 white except at their distal ends. A series of five large ovate white submarginal spots, those in cellules 5 and 6 larger than the others. Hindwing lemon-yellow, the costa narrowly black. A broad brownish-black marginal border reaching to more than half the distance between end of cell and margin, angled at vein 4.A series of six white submarginal spots, those in 1c and 4 smaller than the others; these spots are proximally narrow, and the anterior one is washed with yellow.

Female: Upperside yellowish- to creamy-white. Fore wing with brownish-black costa and apical half extending into the cell and to below vein 2. Spots of the underside showing through. Hind wing with rather broad brownish-black sharply defined marginal border with the spots of the underneath slightly showing through.
Underside as in the male. fore wing with extended black area, the spot on 4 of the subcostal series reduced or absent. Hind wing margin as above, but still more sharply defined. Submarginal spots larger than in the male and the one in 5 also tinged with yellow.
 

Group singhapura species :