MORPHOLOGY

External characteristics

Male
Forewing length (mm): .
Forewings: Upperside black with three green to yellow fields: along hind margin, from lower part of cell to (but not reaching) outer margin, and starting narrow on radius near wing base and widening to near the apex; underside similar, but cell more filled with yellow, veins more edged with black and row of four black submarginal spots is present. Hindwings Hindwing, upperside black from inner margin to cell and vein 3, narrowly along outer margin, rounded black submarginal spots in spaces 4 to 6; rest of wing golden yellow and green, cell partly golden yellow, partly green; underside similar, but cell with black spot.

Female
Forewing, upperside brown to black with rather indistinct submarginal spots, median spots in spaces 1c, 2 and 3 (in 2 by far biggest) and a large whitish patch in cell; underside similar. Hindwing, basal third blackish, rest of wing whitish becoming yellowish and finally blackish towards margin, series of six large rounded spots; underside similar, but yellow more extensive.

Subspecies and variation

Two subspecies are recognized, the nominotypical one in the southwest of New Guinea, and ssp. waigensis on the island of Waigeu, which differs from ssp. tithonus in the cell of the hindwing of the male being more filled with golden yellow.

Similar species

Male and female are rather similar to O. chimaera. Male of latter, wings broader, forewing more triangular; golden yellow on upperside hindwing more extensive and filling cell completely. Female of O. chimaera with smaller spots on forewing, pale area of hindwing more extensive, leaving a rather well defined narrow black margin

_{source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020}