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Seasonal Variation
Male
Upper side forewing: White with a faint dusting of black scales at the apex extending a short way along the termen and usually the entire length of the costa. The dusting of scales is more pronounced towards the base of the costa. The termen is almost straight just below the apex.
Upper side hind wing: White and unmarked.
Under side forewing: The ground colour is pale creamy-yellow, except for the lower half which is white.
Under side hind wing: The ground colour is pale creamy-yellow.
Female
Upper side forewing: Four to five 5 white subapical spots are present in all the forms, and helps to distinguish it from the female Lesser Albatross.
Form principalis. The dry season form.
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Upper side forewing: Ground colour is white. The narrow black marginal bands are continuous along the costal and outer margins, irregular on the inner edge, deeply indented on interspace 2.
Upper side hind wing: Uniformly white with small black triangular markings where the veins meet the termen.
Under side forewing: White, with a faint bluish sheen, specially prominent in freshly emerged specimens. A diffuse yellow patch towards the base, just below the costa. A diffuse, narrow, black, zigzag band in the post-median area that is similar in outline to the one on the upper side, not so in the female Lesser Albatross.
Under side hind wing: Bluish white with no markings. |
Form flava. The wet season form.
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Markings similar to those of form principalis.
Up: White ground colour is replaced by yellow.
Un: White ground replaced by a rich yellow. |
Form semiflava
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Markings similar to those of form principalis.
Up : Similar to form principalis
Un: Similar to form flava. |
Danaidae | Satyridae | Amathusiidae | Nymphalidae | Acraeidea | Libytheidae | Riodinidae | Lycaenidae | Pieridae | Papilionidae | Hesperidae
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