Delias eichhorni Rothschild & Jordan 1904

Male verso
  © Robert Gotts

I originally placed twelve subspecies here, but the consensus of opinion has upgraded several subspecies to specific level, with subspecies of their own.

Unfortunately, the experts fail to agree as to how many! I have seen good arguments for three, four and five separate species.

Original Description - Rothschild (1904. Novitates Zoologicae xi.)- "Male: Upperside fore wing black, a large triangular area from hinder margin forwards to R3, penetrating into the cell, truncate-sinuate costally, not extending to base; three white spots beyond apex of cell from costal margin to R3, more or less confluent, the first the smallest; two white subapical spots. Hindwing for the greater part white; a somewhat irregular distal margin band black, tapering behind. Underside fore wing black, a large deep cadmium-yellow area as shown in figures (see above), deeply excised at the cross-veins; a row of five white submarginal spots, slightly tinged with citron-yellow, second the largest, fourth the smallest. Hind wing olive black; a white band somewhat shaped like a figure 3 obliquely from base of costal margin to disc, streaked or spotted with yellow between the veins, a submarginal row of large white spots, mostly nailhead-shaped, being produced to the distal edge, except the first; these also marked with yellow mesially; a yellow spot between end of band and SM2; this vein citron-yellow; abdominal margin more or less white in middle.

Female: Differs from male on the upperside in the fore wing being more extended black and having the spots sulphur-yellow, in the hind wing being shaded with sulphur-yellow, and having a broader black border, which includes vestigial sulphurous spots; and on the underside in the fore wing bearing a series of seven submarginal spots".