Delias blanca

MORPHOLOGY


External characteristics


Male 

Forewings: The forewing upper side has a black-ish brown colouration, with white coloured and dusted with blue-ish grey markings. There is a stripe, a longer one below the cell divided by the submedian, and there are four short and narrow post cellular stripes. Further, there are seven submarginal spots, of which three are somewhat square shaped. The forewing underside is similar to the upper side, with two short stripes in the cell. The anterior submarginal streak is divided into two spots and there are three submarginal spots below these (Pequin, 2021). Hindwings The hindwing upper side is black-ish brown coloured. The proximal area, except for the base, is lemon-yellow coloured. There are stripes and spots, which are separated by the black coloured veins. There are two long posterior stripes, which are separated by the submedian. Further, there is a oblog patch, a short streak, two spots, and a series of small and rounded grey-white submarginal spots. The hindwing underside is similar to the upper side, but the submarginal spots are larger (Pequin, 2021).

Female  
The females generally have a different underside wing surface than the males, by being darker with broader margins on both wings (D'Abrera, 1982). The female is larger than the male, and has a more strongly curved costa on the forewing. Further, the white and yellow coloured markings on the upper side wing surface are better developed (Yata and Morishita, 1979).  

Subspecies and variation

 
Five subspecies are described (Pequin, 2021; Yata and Morishita, 1979). The markings on the upper side wing surface are smaller and less distinct in ssp. nausicaa (Yata and Morishita, 1979).

Similar species

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