Delias meeki
Delias meeki is a butterfly from the family Pieridae. It occurs in seven subspecies in New Guinea. The specific name commemorates English naturalist Albert Stewart Meek who collected the type series in May 1903 at Owgarra north of head of the Aroa River in Papua New Guinea. It forms a species group with the sympatric species ''Delias niepelti''
Description
It has a wingspan of 62 mm. The upperside of the males is similar to that of the males of Delias niepelti. The white area of the forewing is more sharply defined, more straight distally, and anteriorly rather more extended. There are two white spots beyond the upper angle of the cell. The underside shows also that of D. niepelti but the yellow area of the forewing is much paler and distally straight, the subapical spots are slightly smaller. The hindwing has a yellowish-white costal patch which is reaching down to the cell. The upperside of the females is black whereas the colouring is rather more extended than on the upperside of the females of D. niepelti. The yellow area of the forewing is more straight distally. The basal half of the hindwing is grey. The area between the second subcosta and the first radius or a little beyond these veins is yellowish. On the underside the yellow area of the forewing is paler than in the females of D. niepelti. It is less extended and distally straight. The hindwing shows a yellowish white costal patch which does not extend beyond the first radius not being triangular as in the males but longitudinal.Subspecies
- Delias meeki meeki
- Delias meeki albimarginata Talbot, 1929
- Delias meeki arfakensis Joicey & Talbot, 1922
- Delias meeki hypochrysis Roepke, 1955
- Delias meeki hypoxantha Roepke, 1955
- Delias meeki neagra Jordan, 1911
- Delias meeki septentrionalis Rothschild, 1924