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View Full Version : Another Rapala for ID



Blue Nawab
24-Sep-2012, 11:05 PM
Is this Scarlet Flash (Rapala dieneces dieneces) or Copper Flash? Dr Seow? Thanks!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/8019660754_3a3acc9177_c_d.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/8019667508_d86a766186_c_d.jpg

Psyche
25-Sep-2012, 01:19 AM
This gets rather tricky.
1 Male note wingshape, short palpi, & oval mark on the hindwing.
2. Female , note wingshape , longer palpi, no hindwing mark.

Note the band beside the grey-blue patch.
It is a straight slant in the male & just slightly curved in the female.

Copper Flash R. pheretima can be eliminated as it has no orange & usually a central cellspot on the forewing.
Copper Flash with the usual central cellspot on the forewing.
http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq58/scarefree/218-3-Rapala-pheretima-sequeira--1.jpg
Copper Flash without the forewing cellspot.
http://www.butterflycircle.com/checklist%20V2/CI/mugshots/Rapala%20pheretima%20sequeira/Rapala%20pheretima%20sequeira.jpg

Both R. dieneces & suffussa can be eliminated as the band beside the patch is domed or strongly convex.(Also by colour in suffussa.)
Male dieneces.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ca3djKvy5NY/T6ew2H0RtvI/AAAAAAAAFzU/RCwL9W3TwKY/s1600/DSC0136+Scarlet+Flash.jpg
Female dieneces.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4695540140_6e2b552527.jpg

R. varuna usually have broad bands & the orange encircled the black spot, plus deep purple wash.

This leaves R. iarbus & manea which have the band beside the patch similar.

R. iarbus is normally light coloured as grey or brownish buff.
R. manea is deeper brown with usually a purplish wash.

The male should be R. iarbus.
The female looks brown enough to be R. manea.

One other possibility R. scintilla is more greyish (not recorded in Singapore)

Will need to check again later.

TL Seow:cheers:
PS. The female is probably R. iarbus as the postdiscal band is broad. Compare R. manea below.
http://www.butterflycircle.org/lycaenidae/manea.jpg
Compare with R. iarbus below.
http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RapalaIarbusIarbusMFUpUnAC1.jpg