Delias phippsi Joicey & Talbot 1922

Subspecies and range of Delias phippsi :

. phippsi Joicey & Talbot 1922 - Weyland Mtns, Papua

. wisseli Roepke 1955 - Arabu River, Central Mtns, Papua

. mulia Gerrits & van Mastrigt 1993 - Ilu-Mulia, Central Mtns, Papua

Notes on Delias phippsi :

Characterised by the short red bar clearly defined below the cell on the hindwing.

Original description: Joicey & Talbot - Bull. Hill. Mus. i, pt 2. - 1922. "Male: Upperside of fore wing with black distal area extending along costa to base, to the discocellulars, to vein 4 before its middle and obliquely to the end of 2. Hind wing with black marginal border about 3 mm. wide, from vein 6 to the inner margin, narrowing anteriorly and posteriorly.

Underside of fore wing with broader distal black. A subapical lemon-chrome spot divided by vein 8. Hind wing with a snow-white subbasal streak in 7. Below the cell in 1c an oblong spot of nopal red (1) lying in a white band spotted with bluish-grey near the cell and covered with bluish-grey scales on the other side. This band continues from the lower edge of cell as a large discal straw-yellow patch becoming broader anteriorly; its edges are clearly defined, the upper one passing beyond vein 6; the lower, straighter, and not quite reaching end of cell, the anterior end bounded by the red submarginal line. Submarginal red line placed more proximal than in alepa and reaching the costa; the space between it and the margin from costa to vein 4 is snow-white. Basal edge of wing from costa to middle of inner margin powdered with yellow.

Female: Upperside with greatly extended black ground-colour. Fore wing with creamy-white area for two-thirds of inner margin, its outer edge parallel with outer margin, curved round just above vein 3 along inside of cell to base. Hind wing with white proximal half showing the colour of the underside through it, extending to end of cell, posteriorly to basal two-thirds of inner margin, anteriorly following the discal patch of the underside.

Underside of fore wing with proximal straw-yellow area of same shape and size as on upperside. A subapical line of six lemon-chrome spots only divided by veins. Hind wing as in the male."

The black form of Delias phippsi mulia shown above from Mokndoma (figure8) is interesting as I have another specimen exactly like this one from Mokndoma too.