Rapala iarbus subsp. iarbus, (Fabricius, 1787)

2. R. iarbus iarbus ( Fabricius, 1787) View in CoL Figs 1b View FIGURE 1 , 3 View FIGURE 3

Papilio iarbus Fabricius, 1787: 68

Type locality: Siam ( Thailand)

Common Name: Common Red Flash

Material Examined: NEPAL. Gandaki Province. Gorkha . Luitel East , 16.ix. 1968, 885 m, leg. C.P. Smith ( ANHM, 1♂) . Kaski . Pakha , 11.xi. 1989, 1010 m, leg. C.P. Smith ( ANHM, 1♂) . Tanahun . 26.viii.1989, leg. S. Pariyar ( ANHM, 1♀) . Lumbini Province. Rupandehi . Butwal , 29.ix. 1971, 125 m, leg. C.P. Smith ( ANHM, 1♂) . INDIA. Meghalaya. Khasi Hills , vii.1893, MGCL 1201230 , Genitalic Vial KW-24-90 ( MGCL, 1♂) ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ) . West Bengal. Darjeeling , 10.ii.1990, MGCL 1201231 , Genitalic Vial KW-24-108 ( MGCL, 1♀) ( Fig. 3b View FIGURE 3 ).

Wingspan: 33–41 mm ( Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022).

Diagnosis ( Figs 3a, 3b View FIGURE 3 ): Rapala iarbus can be distinguished from its congeners by its red dorsal coloration, with the forewing veins prominently dark in males. It resembles R. pheretima dorsally but can be distinguished by the presence of a stubby tail on vein 3, which is absent in R. pheretima , and by the sharply defined and much darker red patch on the dorsal forewing in males. The female R. iarbus has a dorsal red color suffused across the entire forewings, unlike in R. pheretima males. Ventrally, R. iarbus can be distinguished from R. manea by its distinctly orange cilia and from R. selira by its ash gray to slate gray coloration.

Male Genitalia ( Figs 3c–3e View FIGURE 3 ): Aedeagus vesica with a longitudinal cleft in the middle with serrated margin in lateral view; valvae wide basally and narrowed apically; cleft between the valvae slightly less than half the length of the valval plate.

Female Genitalia ( Fig. 3f View FIGURE 3 ): Anterior apophysis longer than most other Rapala ; ductus bursae widens apically, distal end triangular and strongly pointed like an arrow; corpus bursae with a longitudinal slender signum on either side at the basal half with rows of minute spines inside.

Biology: Larvae are known to feed on the young leaves of Melastoma polyanthum Burm.f. , Nephelium lappaceum L., Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.)W.Theob. ( Fleming 1975; Ek-Amnuay2012), Ougeinia dalbergioides Benth. , Melastoma malabathricum L., Zizyphus rugosa Lam. ( Kehimkar 2008), Desmodium oojeinense (Roxb.) H.Ohashi , Mangifera indica L., and Mimusops elengi L. ( Robinson et al. 2023). Natural History: Adults are typically found in wooded areas and on flowers ( Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022). Variation: Variation occurs primarily in the ventral ground color, ranging from ash gray to slate gray. Phenology in Nepal: March, May to December ( Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022). Elevation: 180– 1,490 m ( Smith 1994; Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022). Distribution on the Indian Subcontinent: Nepal to northeastern India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh ( Van Gasse 2018). Distribution in Nepal: Terai region, Karnali Province, Kathmandu Valley, Gandaki Province including the Pokhara Valley, and Koshi Province ( Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022).