About Doleschallia bisaltide Cramer, 1777
Doleschallia bisaltide Cramer, 1777 has the following characteristics: Its larvae are black, with two rows of dorsal white spots. The larval head bears a pair of branched spines; every other segment has a dorsal and a lateral row of blue branched spines on each side. Larvae feed on plants from the genera Artocarpus, Pseuderanthemum, Calycanthus, Ruellia, Girardina, Strobilanthus and Graptophyllum. Pupae are yellowish with numerous black spots, constricted at the middle, and the head is extended into two points. There are multiple recognized subspecies of D. bisaltide: Doleschallia bisaltide andamanensis Fruhstorfer, 1899: This subspecies closely resembles the Indian form of D. bisaltide, but differs in the oblique yellow band on the forewing upperside, which is broader and extends uninterrupted from the middle of the costal margin to interspace 4, though it is constricted preapically. On the hindwing upperside, there are both a conspicuous inner and a conspicuous outer subterminal narrow black band. On the underside, this subspecies is just as variable as the typical form. In many specimens, likely wet-season broods, the ground colour is a richer, almost metallic green, with basal snow-white spots outlined by black lines; the ocelli in interspaces 2 and 5 are also more clearly defined than in the Indian form. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen match the form of malabarica. This subspecies has been recorded in South Andaman (Chidiyatapu), Car Nicobar, Central Nicobars and Great Nicobar. Adults are attracted to the flowers of Ligustrum glomeratum, and larvae have been found on Pseuderanthemum album (Acanthaceae). Doleschallia bisaltide apameia Fruhstorfer, 1912: Found in the Obi Islands. Doleschallia bisaltide australis C. & R. Felder, 1867: Common name the leafwing; found in Indonesia, the Torres Strait Islands, and northeastern Australia. Doleschallia bisaltide bougainvillensis Strand, 1920: Found in Bougainville. Doleschallia bisaltide cethega Fruhstorfer, 1912: Found in Sulawesi. Doleschallia bisaltide ceylonica Fruhstorfer, 1903: Common name the Ceylon autumn leaf; found in Sri Lanka. Doleschallia bisaltide continentalis Fruhstorfer, 1899: Found in southern China, Indochina and Malaysia; Doleschallia bisaltide siamensis is a synonym for this subspecies. Doleschallia bisaltide denisi Viette, 1950: Found in New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. Doleschallia bisaltide gurelca Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1893: Found in the Bismarck Archipelago and the Admiralty Islands. Doleschallia bisaltide herrichi Butler, 1876: Found in New Hebrides. Doleschallia bisaltide indica Moore, 1899: Common name the Himalayan autumn leaf; found in northern India and Nepal. Doleschallia bisaltide karabachica Tytler, 1940. Doleschallia bisaltide malabarica Fruhstorfer, 1899: For both males and females, the underside is yellowish brown, paling anteriorly to rich golden yellow on the forewing, and shading anteriorly into dusky brown on the hindwing. Forewing: The apical half is black, following a line from vein 12 opposite the discocellulars, passing through the apex of the cell, obliquely across the middle of interspace 3 and curving down to the tornus; a black spot near the apex of the cell merges with the inner margin of the black colouration; a short, very oblique, broad golden-yellow band, broader in females than in males, extends from the middle of the costal margin to interspace 5; a spot in line with this band occurs beyond it in interspace 4; there are two, sometimes three, minute preapical white specks; the cilia are fulvous (tawny), touched with white on the anterior end. Hindwing is uniform; as noted above, the costal margin is broadly shaded, a subterminal narrow band and narrower posterior terminal line are dusky black; a postdiscal black spot is present in interspaces 2 and 5 respectively; the cilia are fulvous. The underside is very variable, and closely resembles a dry leaf. No two specimens are identical. The ground colour ranges from reddish to dark greenish brown, with irrorations (speckles) of greyish and black scales; the apex of the forewing and the posterior terminal margin of the hindwing are more or less lilacine; both forewings and hindwings are crossed by a dark narrow discal fascia, generally bordered on the inner side by a greyish line; this fascia bends inwards at a right angle above vein 6 of the forewing, and in most specimens is bordered internally by a diffuse pale patch and externally by an oblique whitish mark. Beyond this mark is a subcostal white spot, followed by a transverse sinuous postdiscal series of obscure ocelli crossing both wings; each ocellus is centered by a minute dot, which is white on the forewing and black on the hindwing. Males generally, but not always, have a number of whitish spots on the basal areas of both wings. Antennae are blackish brown, ochraceous at the apex; head, thorax and abdomen are dark fulvous brown; on the underside, the palpi are white, and the thorax and abdomen are pale brown. Wingspan is approximately 84 to 88 mm (3.3 to 3.5 in). This subspecies is found in Sikkim, southern India, Ceylon, Assam, Myanmar and Tenasserim. Doleschallia bisaltide menexema Fruhstorfer, 1912: Found in the Treasury Islands, Shortlands, Guadalcanal, and possibly the Solomon Islands. Doleschallia bisaltide merguiana Evans, 1924. Doleschallia bisaltide montrouzieri Butler, 1876: Found in New Hebrides. Doleschallia bisaltide nasica Fruhstorfer, 1907: Found in Waigeu. Doleschallia bisaltide nigromarginata Joicey & Noakes, 1915: Found in Biak. Doleschallia bisaltide tualensis Fruhstorfer, 1899: Found in Kai Island. Doleschallia bisaltide philippensis Fruhstorfer, 1899: Found in the Philippines. Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa C. & R. Felder, 1860: Found in peninsular Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Doleschallia bisaltide rennellensis Howarth, 1962: Found in Rennell and the Bellona Islands. Doleschallia bisaltide scapus Fruhstorfer, 1912: Found in Indonesia and Timor. Doleschallia bisaltide sciron Godman & Salvin, 1888: Found in the Treasury Islands, Shortlands, and Guadalcanal. Doleschallia bisaltide tenimberensis Fruhstorfer, 1912: Found in Biak. Doleschallia bisaltide tualensis Fruhstorfer, 1899: Found in Kai Island
