About Doleschallia bisaltide polibete Cramer, 1782
Doleschallia bisaltide is a species with a described larval and pupal stage, and numerous recognized subspecies. The larvae are black, with two rows of dorsal white spots. The 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 of the genera Artocarpus, Pseuderanthemum, Calycanthus, Ruellia, Girardina, Strobilanthus and Graptophyllum. The pupae are yellowish with many black spots, constricted at the middle, and the front of the head forms two distinct points. Doleschallia bisaltide bisaltide (the nominate subspecies, originally published as Doleschallia bisaltide polibete Cramer, 1782) is the base taxon for the listed subspecies.
Doleschallia bisaltide andamanensis Fruhstorfer, 1899: This subspecies closely resembles the Indian form of D. bisaltide. It differs in the oblique yellow band on the upperside of the forewing, which is broader and extends uninterrupted from the middle of the costal margin to interspace 4, though it is constricted preapically. On the upperside of the hindwing, there are both an inner and an outer conspicuous narrow black subterminal band. On the underside, this subspecies is as variable as the typical form, but many specimens (likely wet-season broods) have a richer, almost metallic green ground colour, 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 seen in D. b. malabarica. This subspecies has been recorded from 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 (family 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 of 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: No additional descriptive or distribution information provided in the source.
Doleschallia bisaltide malabarica Fruhstorfer, 1899: For both males and females, the underside is yellowish brown, paling anteriorly to a rich golden yellow on the forewing, and shading anteriorly into dusky brown on the hindwing. On the 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 apical area. 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 portion. The hindwing is otherwise uniform; the costal margin is broadly dusky brown as noted above, with a narrow subterminal band and a narrower terminal line that are dusky black on the posterior portion. 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 individual 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 lilac-tinted. 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; in most specimens, it 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 ranges from about 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: No additional descriptive or distribution information provided in the source.
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 (duplicate entry in the source).
