Rapala lankana

Rapala lankana, the Malabar flash, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in South India and Sri Lanka. It was first described by Frederic Moore in 1879.[1][2][3][4][5]

Malabar flash
Upper side
Underside
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Rapala
Species:	R. lankana
Binomial name
Rapala lankana (Moore, 1879)
Synonyms
Deudorix lankana Moore, 1879 Vadebra lankana (Moore, 1879)

Description

Male: Upperside: Both wings deep purple, almost dull black, but in certain lights the whole of the hindwing and the lower discal area of the forewing glossed with magnificent rich purple. Hindwing with the anal lobe centred with ferruginous.

Underside: Both wings pale ferruginous towards the base, becoming gradually darker towards the margin. Forewing with a somewhat broad straight discal deep ferruginous band from the costa almost reaching the sub-median nervure, its outer edge very even, its inner edge a little irregular. Hindwing with a similar discal band, but posteriorly curved up to the abdominal margin; the anal lobe black, a deep ferruginous spot in the first median interpace on the margin, with some indistinct white speckles between, the discal band also bordered with white on both sides above the anal lobe.[4]

Female: Upperside: Both wings pale violet-brown, marginal line black. Cilia pale ferruginous, at anal angle of hindwing and beyond the tail white. Hindwing with the anal lobe ferruginous, tail black.

Underside: both wings pale ferruginous, the margin darker; crossed by a narrow ferruginous-brown discal band. Hindwing with a black spot at the anal lobe and a speckled spot beyond, both of which and the end of the band are bordered with white speckles. Legs blackish, banded with white.[3][1][6]

See also

• List of butterflies of the Western Ghats

References

1. Moore, Frederic (1880). The Lepidoptera of Ceylon. Vol. I. London: L. Reeve & Co. p. 128.
2. Varshney, R.K.; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing. p. 123. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN 978-81-929826-4-9.
3. Moore, Frederic (1879). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. London: Zoological Society of London. p. 141.
4. G. F. L., Marshall; Nicéville, Lionel de (1882). The butterflies of India, Burmah and Ceylon. A descriptive handbook of all the known species of rhopalocerous Lepidoptera inhabiting that region, with notices of allied species occurring in the neighbouring countries along the border; with numerous illustrations. Vol. II-III. Calcutta: Central Press Co., ld. p. 460.
5. Savela, Markku. "Rapala lankana (Moore, 1879)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
6. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a work now in the public domain: Swinhoe, Charles (1911–1912). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. IX. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. p. 54.