Family PIERIDAE

The Delias group of butterflies are the most famous of the Pieridae of Papua New Guinea and vary greatly in colour and design. Generally slow flying, these butterflies occur from sea level to the highest altitudes of PNG's highlands. Most feed on Loranthus sp. (Mistletoe) as caterpillars and highland species can live for many months. On the mountains of P.N.G different species can be found within different altitude bands and it is even possible to move into different species levels when collecting along fast flowing upland creeks. Most male Delias are whitish on the topside and coloured underneath, but some lower altitude species and the females of many others are various shades of yellow above. Some groups of Delias have recently been split into several somewhat similar species. There is an excellent book available for people wanting to specialize in collecting this wonderful group of butterflies.

Book reference 'An Illustrated List of the Genus Delias Hubner of the World' by Yagashita, Nakano and Morita