Rapala dieneces?

[Banded Yeoman]

Hi Dr Seow,

This was shot in 2015 but only dug up now... Judging by the ground colour and the (relatively) straight forewing band, I'm guessing this is a female R. dieneces? R. suffusa and R. dieneces are still confusing me... Your input would be greatly appreciated!

[atronox]

I'd say this is dieneces because female suffusa has a powdery yellow cast which seems to be quite persistent even with age and wear. The key is that in female suffusa, the ground colour is so yellow that the distal yellow markings on the hindwing barely contrast against the ground colour of the hindwing. Males seem to have this yellowish cast also but to a lesser degree.

I realise the "rules" for separating males of the two cannot work reliably for females.

[Psyche]

Agreed this is R. dieneces female, but is quite typical.

The two can be quite confusing.
As you can see R. dieneces can also be quite yellowish (see also R. dieneces female in C&P4)
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4/83880001.html
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4/83850001.html (Yutaka all forms in Malaya under ssp suffusa.)


R. dieneces ;FW band mostly straight ; Ground colour more brownish.
Undoubted examples males & female.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq8JtCdenz...rlet+Flash.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ca3djKvy5N...rlet+Flash.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5474/...d92f210a_c.jpg
http://wingscales.com/content/record/1741-1-cec76.jpg


R. suffusa :FW band curved towards costa ;more strongly yellow.
Undoubted examples. males & females.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2311/1...0b2fa066_c.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7376/9...452d3eda_b.jpg
http://s255.photobucket.com/user/log...9045a.jpg.html
https://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg/...ef..jpg&photo=
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...Sunny-Chir.jpg
http://m5.i.pbase.com/g9/25/686825/2...5.sRe8z1wO.jpg


Examples labelled as R. suffusa, but I feel they are R. dieneces.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XfgDly7ApO...ed%2BFlash.jpg
https://wanderingbutterflyeffect.fil...80085a860f.jpg
http://www.butterflycircle.com/check...llen%20Tan.JPG

Labelled as R. dieneces but I think it is R. suffusa male.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KIPhHY0XrS...+dieneces).jpg


TL Seow : Cheers.

[Banded Yeoman]

Thanks Aaron and Dr Seow for the clarification! Glad to have a more-or-less benchmark record that I can compare future sightings to.

I agree that the yellow cast is confusing and can be disguised or exaggerated by image colour casts... I suppose the best way to id the males would still be the upperside - but they rarely open willingly.