Appias paulina

Appias paulina (Cramer, 1777)
Common Albatross ,   Christmas Island White
PIERINAE ,   PIERIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans
&
Stella Crossley

Australian Insects Website presents you the Caterpillar. It is grey and green with white dorsal stripe, and numerous raised black spots. When resting, it normally lies along the midrib of a foodplant leaf.

The pupa is pale yellow with a black spike on the head, and with other black and yellow markings. It is often attached to a leaf.

The female adult butterflies have white forewings with black edges containing white spots, and yellow hindwings with black edges which may contain yellow spots.

The male butterflies are white with black tips to the forewings, which also have two black subapical spots.

Underneath, the sexes resemble their upper sides, but with a yellow ground colour rather than white.

Both sexes have a wingspan of about 5 cms.

The eggs are laid singly, and are green and barrel shaped with ribs.

The species occurs from India to Samoa, including :

• Indonesia,
• Japan,
• Malaysia,
• New Caledonia,
• SriLanka,
• Thailand,

Here you have somethnig more about Appias melania.