Rapalas for ID

[Blue Nawab]

Is this Slate Flash?



Is this Copper Flash?

[bluefin]

Looks like Suffused & Indigo.

[Psyche]

These Rapalas especially the females are confusingly similar.

1 R. iarbus female.
The band is broad & double-margined with white( not always).
The band to the inside of the grey-green patch (or above in a set specimen) is a straight slant.

2. R. manea male.
Band too narrow & not double-margined for varuna.
In varuna the band to the inside of the greygreen patch is an arch.

TL Seow

[Blue Nawab]

Thanks Dr Seow for the IDs. Thanks Nelson for trying...

[Psyche]

I didn't realised this, but R. manea & varuna can be closely similar.

Typically R. manea has a very narrow band especially on the forewing.

http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4/83900010.html
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4/83900020.html

While R. varuna can have a narrower band than usual. The 2 males here.
http://yutaka.it-n.jp/lyc4/83930010.html

However, the band near the grey-green patch is a straight slant in R. manea male.
Also in varuna the orange nearly encircled the black spot.

The females of R. iarbus & manea are near identical in markings except the ground colour in manea is a deeper brown often with a noticeable purple wash.
In this example of R. manea female, the band beside the grey-green patch is angled at the top.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4111/5...1c778a1b_z.jpg


TL Seow