Delias dice

MORPHOLOGY


External characteristics


Male 
Wingspan (mm): 48 - 56 (DBpedia, n.d.).
Forewings: The upper side wing surface is white coloured. The forewing has a diffuse inner edge of the black marginal border and there are two small white subapical spots. The white postcellular bar on the underside of the wing has a variable width. The submarginal spots are small, of which two are yellow. The base of the cell has a clear yellow colouration (Pequin, 2021). Hindwings The hindwing has a narrow black marginal border, which becomes narrower from vein M3 to the costa. The marginal border on the hindwing is grey-black and has five yellow submarginal spots (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). On the upper side of the wing surface, there is a white post cellular bar and two yellowish subapical spots. The hingwing is creamy-white coloured and has a black marginal border. The upper side of the forewing is similar to the underside. The underside is washed with yellow for the greater part. There is a grey-black border on the yellow coloured hindwing, with white veins. There are six submarginal orange spots (Pequin, 2021).  

Subspecies and variation

 
Seven subspecies are described (Pequin, 2021).

Similar species

This species is often confused with Delias enniana. The hindwing of Delias dice is darker yellow than in Delias enniana. Females of Delias enniana and Delias dice resemble each other, but the post cellular white bar is in the latter species narrrower (Pequin, 2021).

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