Delias aganippe

Delias aganippe (Donovan, 1805)
Wood White
PIERINAE , PIERIDAE

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

(updated 6 May 2008)

Delias aganippe
early instars
(Photo: courtesy of R.P.Field Museum Victoria)

This Caterpillar initially is pale brown with white hairs, and black head and tail. Later, its body becomes nearly black, with white spots out of which grow white hairs.

late instars
(Photo: courtesy of R.P.Field Museum Victoria)

It feeds gregariously in a sparse web on various species of Australian Native Cherry ( SANTALACEAE ), including :

Leafless Ballart ( Exocarpos aphyllus ),

Dwarf Cherry ( Exocarpos strictus ),

Native Cherry ( Exocarpos cupressiformis ),

Sweet Quandong ( Santalum acuminatum ),

Northern Sandalwood ( Santalum lanceolatum ), and

Australian Sandalwood ( Santalum spicatum ),

as well as various species of Mistletoe ( LORANTHACEAE ), including :

Sheoak Mistletoe ( Amyema cambagei ),

Buloke Mistletoe ( Amyema linophylla ),

Melaleuca Mistletoe ( Amyema melaleucae ),

Box Mistletoe ( Amyema miquelii ),

Wire-leaved Mistletoe ( Amyema preissii ), and

Grey Mistletoe ( Amyema quandang ).

The caterpillar is a problem for growers of plantation Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum hosted against Acacia acuminata) in the wheat belt about 2 hours east of Perth WA. Sandalwood was native to the area until cut out to extinction early in the 1900s. The growers are now concerned about their first sandalwood trees seeded in autumn of 2003.

The trees are being invaded by the Wood White Butterfly caterpillar (Delias aganippe) with seriously damaging results. This is mostly but not always to the average size tree, not so much on the more vigorous growth bigger trees, and not so much on the smaller trees, although the smaller single stem trees are where the most damage in percentage of foliage terms is occurring.

There was a bad infestation in 2004 in November, and rather than using insecticide the owners of one plantation took to the plantation with gloves and walked the full plantation squashing the caterpillars. An 18 km walk!.

adult, surrounded by pupae
(Photo: courtesy of Elizabeth Gordon-Mills, Normanville, South Australia))

The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms. It pupates often in a group on a twig of the foodplant. The pupa is attached by a cremaster and girdle, and is mottled brown and white.

upper surface of male adult
(Photo: courtesy of Kathy at Dongara)

The wings have silver-grey the upper surfaces that have wide black margins containing a subterminal band of white spots.

female
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The females have an additional black spot near the centre of each forewing. Underneath both sexes are white, red, yellow, and black.

underside of female
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The butterfly has a wingspan of up to 7 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis, Sydney)

The eggs are are yellow, ribbed, and bottle shaped with a height of about 1.4 mm. They are laid in clusters on a foodplant.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Jenni Horsnell )

The species is found over most of the southern half of Australia, in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and the southern half of Western Australia.

( Australia Post, 1981)