Hill Jezebel

Delias belladonna belongs to Pieridae. India’s Directorate of Forest Education calls it the Hill Jezebel, and the specialist classification places it in the belladonna group. [1][2][3]

The wings are dark with white and yellow markings. The specialist diagnosis identifies an entirely yellow patch in the ventral hindwing cell, together with distinct pale patches on the underside forewing. [2][3]

Regional forms occur across the Himalayas, China and mainland Southeast Asia, with additional Malaysian and Sumatran forms. The Indian field guide records stream margins and open-forest tracks at 600–3,000 metres. [2][3]

India’s Directorate of Forest Education records Dendrophthoe as a larval food plant. [3]

The Indian guide describes adults gathering on flowering trees and thistles. Males visit damp soil and sometimes form puddling groups. [3]

Fabricius named the species Papilio belladonna in 1793. Its current combination, Delias belladonna, retains his authorship and date. [5]

The specialist account includes a male D. belladonna ithiela photographed by Krushnamegh Kunte at Rangli, East Sikkim, on 8 May 2011. [2]

Yellow fields and pale spots provide contrast against the dark wing ground.

Keep the frame away from direct sunlight, heat and persistent damp. Handle the enclosure by its frame and inspect for loose fragments without opening it. [4]

The specialist diagnosis emphasizes the yellow cell patch on the underside hindwing. In India, caterpillars are recorded on Dendrophthoe, while adults visit flowers and males gather on damp soil. [2][3]

The Indian government guide describes habitat, host and adult behaviour. The specialist account supplies morphological comparisons and attributed field photographs, while the Catalogue of Life record preserves the original name and authorship. [2][3][5]