MORPHOLOGY
External characteristics
Male
Forewings: The forewing has a black coloured distal band. The forewing underside has a white coloured area and the costal area is black, which forms a triangular patch over the upper angle of the cell. There are white coloured spots beyond the cell and subapical spots (Joicey and Talbot, 1922). Hindwings The hindwing underside has a broad yellow band, a larger cell spot and large marginal spots. The hindwing upper side has a reduced marginal black band (Joicey and Talbot, 1922).
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 quite closely resembles morphologically females of Delias aroae. The forewing upper side has a black coloured discocellular mark and there is a white area. The hindwing underside has a white ground colour and is similar to that of the males (Joicey and Talbot, 1922).
Subspecies and variation
There is a second female form, f. brevifascia, which is similar to the male form of Delias yabensis. It has on the hindwing a narrow black margin of almost even width. The hindwing has a discal band, which ends as a yellow spot between veins Cu2 and Cu3 (Joicey and Talbot, 1922).