Delias harpalyce

Delias harpalyce (Donovan, 1805)
(one synonym : Papilio lewini)
Imperial White
PIERINAE , PIERIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

Delias harpalyce
(Photo: courtesy of M. and P. Coupar, Museum Victoria)

These Caterpillars are cylindrical and black with sparse white hairs and spots. The Caterpillars feed on various species of Mistletoe ( LORANTHACEAE ), including :

Erect Mistletoe ( Amyema congener ),

Box Mistletoe ( Amyema miquelii ),

Drooping Mistletoe ( Amyema pendula ),

Wire-leaved Mistletoe ( Amyema preissii ),

Grey Mistletoe ( Amyema quandang ), and

Creeping Mistletoe ( Muellerina eucalyptoides ).

The gregarious Caterpillars spin a silken web on their foodplant. They grow to a length of 4 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Clive Oatley, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria)

The Caterpillars pupate in a group in their web. The pupae range from orange in summer, to black in winter.

(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The butterflies have a wingspan of up to 7 cm. The upper surfaces of the wings are a dirty white with wide black margins. The forewing apices each contain an arc of white spots. The females are greyer than the males and have a green tinge, and the black margins are wider.

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The undersides are white, red, yellow, and black.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Clive Oatley, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria)

The eggs are laid in clusters of about 100 on the upper surface of a foodplant leaf. The eggs are yellow and bottle shaped with a height of about 0.1 cm.

(Photo: courtesy of Clive Oatley, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria)

The species occurs over the south-eastern quarter of continental Australia, including

New South Wales,

Victoria, and

South Australia.

Drawings were made of the this species by Arthur Bartholomew in 1861.