Delias walshae   Roepke 1955
Subspecies : walshae - Roepke 1955
sanaeae - Sakuma 1999
ilu - Mastrigt 2000

recto                Male              verso

Ilu-Mulia, Irian Jaya - February 1991

©Robert Gotts
Wingspan : 50mm
Range        : walshae - Ibele Valley, Irian Jaya
sanaeae - Pass Valley, Irian Jaya
ilu - Mulia, Homeyo, Irian Jaya
Notes         :
This species, identified by Roepke in 1955, can easily be distinguished by the absence of a basal spot on the hindwing underside, and by the yellow underside colouring, as opposed to orange in D.hemianops and D.fioretti.

Roepke originally placed this species as a subspecies of D.mariae, but it was upgraded by Yagishita (1993) to specific status.

D.walshae walshae differ from the subspecies by having a large white area on the forewing underside, and a creamy/pale yellow hindwing. It is found in the Ibele Valley, in the Central Mountains of Irian Jaya.

D.walshae ilu, Mastrigt (2000), is more strongly marked in yellow on the underside forewing, and is found in Homeyo, Sinak, Ilu & Mulia areas of the Central Mountains.

D.walshae sanaeae, Sakuma (1999), was originally, erroneously, placed as a subspecies of D.hemianops. It shows a larger area of black markings on the underside forewing than the other subspecies. It is found around Pass Valley, in the Central Mountains.