Rapala varuna orseis Hewitson, 1863

1. Rapala varuna orseis Hewitson, 1863 Figs 1a View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2

Deudorix orseis Hewitson, 1863: 23 View in CoL

Type locality: Sumatra ( Indonesia)

Common Name: Indigo Flash

Taxonomic Note: Rapala varuna gebenia Fruhstorfer, 1914 should be a junior synonym of R. v. orseis Hewitson, 1863 as was treated by Evans (1932).

Material Examined: NEPAL. Bagmati Province. Makawanpur. Machan Camp, 23.iii. 1991, 215 m, leg. C.P. Smith ( ANHM, 1♂); Harda Khola, 13.ii. 1992, 340 m, leg. C.P. Smith ( ANHM, 1♂). Chitwan . Mahendra Forest , 3.iii. 1986, 200 m, leg. C.P. Smith ( ANHM, 1♂). INDIA. Meghalaya. Khasi Hills , leg. Le Moult, MGCL 1201234 , Genitalic Vial KW-24-93 ( MGCL, 1♂) ( Fig. 2a View FIGURE 2 ). MYANMAR. Nam La. Namtu, 3.xi.1963, leg. S&L Steinhauser, MGCL 1202185 , Genitalic Vial KW-24-113 ( MGCL, 1♀) ( Fig. 2b View FIGURE 2 ) .

Wingspan: 28–35 mm ( Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022).

Diagnosis ( Figs 2a, 2b View FIGURE 2 ): Rapala varuna can be distinguished from congeners in Nepal by its wide postdiscal bands on the ventral wings and the cell-end bar on the ventral hindwing, which often connects to the postdiscal band. While R. varuna is generally distinct from its congeners, it can sometimes be confused with Deudorix epijarbas (Moore, [1858]) ventrally; however, it can be differentiated by its hindwing postdiscal band, which remains unbroken at space 7. When the bands are narrower, it may resemble R. manea , but it can be distinguished by spot 7 on the ventral hindwing, which is not smaller than spot 6 in R. varuna . Males have shining dark blue on the dorsal wings without lateral iridescence, whereas females exhibit a dull blue coloration.

Male Genitalia ( Figs 2c–2e View FIGURE 2 ): Aedeagus with distal margin of vesica serrated and a longitudinal cleft in the middle; slender valvae blunt at the apices; cleft between the valvae slightly more than 1/3 rd the length of the valval plate.

Female Genitalia ( Fig. 2f View FIGURE 2 ): Anterior apophysis short and pointed; ductus bursae widens medially, narrows near the distal portion forming a neck with a wide and smoothly convex head; corpus bursae with a long, slender, longitudinal line of signum on either side with rows of minute spines inside arranged laterally.

Biology: Larvae have been documented feeding on the flowers of Combretum indicum (L.) De Filipps ( Wynter-Blyth 1957), Litchi chinensis Sonn. , Nephelium lappaceum L., Ziziphus rugosa Lam. ( Ek-Amnuay 2012), and Z. xylopyrus (Retz.) Willd. ( Swinhoe 1911), as well as on Sapindus saponaria L. and Lantana camara L. ( Wynter-Blyth 1957; Kehimkar 2008). They have also been recorded feeding on the fruits of Psidium guajava L. ( Jayaraj et al. 1961).

Variation: Individuals exhibit considerable variation in the width of the postdiscal bands, ranging from as wide as in Deudorix epijarbas to as narrow as in Rapala manea . The cell-end bar on the ventral hindwing may not always be connected to the postdiscal band but can be positioned very close to it; that on the ventral forewing may be connected to or distant from the postdiscal band. The ventral ground color varies, appearing predominantly slate gray in females, and brownish to grayish with an indigo-blue sheen in males.

Natural History: Adults are commonly found on flowers, in forests and forest edges, along stream banks, and on moist soil ( Sondhi et al. 2013; Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022).

Phenology in Nepal: February to December ( Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022).

Elevation: 90– 1,550 m ( Smith 1994; Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022).

Distribution on the Indian Subcontinent: Eastern to northeastern India, Andamans, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh ( Van Gasse 2018).

Distribution in Nepal: Terai region, Gandaki Province including the Pokhara Valley, Bagmati Province including the Kathmandu Valley, and Koshi Province ( Van der Poel & Smetacek 2022).