Delias nigrina

Delias nigrina (Fabricius, 1775)
Common Jezabel
PIERINAE , PIERIDAE

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

(updated 15 September 2007)

The eggs of this species are laid in groups on the foodplant, and are yellow and each has a height of about 0.15 cm.

Twins

The Caterpillar is dark green with two rows of yellow spots, each sprouting a white hair. The head is black. It feeds gregariously on various species of Mistletoe ( LORANTHACEAE ) including :

Sheoak Mistletoe ( Amyema cambagei ),

Erect Mistletoe ( Amyema congener ),

Box Mistletoe ( Amyema miquelii ),

Grey Mistletoe ( Amyema quandang ),

Curved Mistletoe ( Dendrophthoe curvata ),

Smooth Mistletoe ( Dendrophthoe glabrescens ),

Long Flowered Mistletoe ( Dendrophthoe vitellina ),

Coast Mistletoe ( Muellerina celastroides ), and

Creeping Mistletoe ( Muellerina eucalyptoides ).

The effects of temperature on the development of the caterpillar has been studied.

(Photo: courtesy of Chris Greenaway, Kyogle, NSW)

It pupates on the foodplant or nearby. The pupae are orange with black spikes and a pair on long white horns on the head.

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The upper sides of the males are white with black tips containing white spots on the forewings, and narrow black margins around the hindwings.

Male, showing underside
(Photo: by Kel Harding, courtesy of Elizabeth Harding, Maleny, Queensland)

The females on top are grey with wide black edges, which contain white spots near the forewing apices.

Female
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

Underneath, both sexes are black with a yellow band on the forewing, and an irregular broken red loop around each hindwing. The adults have a wingspan of about 4 cms.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Fonzilla)

An unusual form with yellow underneath occurs occasionally.

The species occurs along the eastern seaboard of Australia, from Queensland, through New South Wales, to Victoria.