haliphron

1. Ssp. haliphron (Boisduval, 1836)¹⁾ [♂] [♀: (Felder, 1860)³⁾]

(Distribution) [Map 104]

INDONESIA [S. Sulawesi] Palopo, Mt. Bulu Dua, Pangkajene, Maros, Bantimurung, Ujung Pandang (=Makassar), Bataeng.

(Episodes of discovery and original description)

It was first described by Boisduval in 1836 as an independent species of Ornithoptera, based on ♂ collected in Celebes. The first description of ♀ was given by Felder in 1860, together with ♂.

(Characteristics)

It is the first subspecies of this species to be discovered on Sulawesi and is not the only insular subspecies. The ♂ has the smallest HW spots.

(Spotted pattern)

♂: The semi-translucent golden patches on HW are very small, and many individuals have only five discal space spots from subcostal space to space 3, without cell-spot, but rarely a small golden spot appears in the cell.

♀: Closely resembles ssp. pallens, but the ground color of wings is somewhat darker and yellow patches of HW are slightly smaller. The dark discal spots are small and isolated within the discal space. The pale band of HW underside is cream yellow.