Rapala manea, slate flash,[2][1] is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in most of the Indomalayan realm (excluding Taiwan).[2][1]

Rapala manea
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Rapala
Species:
R. manea
Binomial name
Rapala manea
(Hewitson, [1863])[1]
Synonyms
  • Deudorix manea Hewitson, 1863
  • Deudorix chozeba Hewitson, 1863

The wingspan is 24–26 mm.[3] Adult males have dark brown wings with a hint of purple on the cell area of the wings. The underside is greyish brown with two irregular bands. Females are lighter and have androconial patches at the costal margin of the hindwing.

Upperside, male
Upperside, female
Eggs

The larvae of subspecies R. m. schistacea feed on the flowers of Rosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Combretaceae and Leguminosae species, including Quisqualis indica and Acacia caesia. They are attended by ants. The larvae are dull rose red. Pupation takes place in a pinkish pupa, mottled with black. It is attached to the stem or a leaf of the host plant.

Subspecies edit

  • Rapala manea manea (Sulawesi)
  • Rapala manea schistacea (Moore, 1879) (India to northern Thailand, Sri Lanka, southern Yunnan, possibly the Andamans)[4]
  • Rapala manea chozeba (Hewitson, 1863) (southern Thailand to Singapore, Sumatra, possibly Borneo)
  • Rapala manea asikana Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Java, possibly Bali)
  • Rapala manea enganica Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Enggano)
  • Rapala manea lombokiana Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Lombok)
  • Rapala manea baweanica Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Bawean)
  • Rapala manea philippinensis Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Philippines:Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan)

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Savela, Markku. "Rapala manea (Hewitson, 1863)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ Butterflies of Sri Lanka
  4. ^   One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Swinhoe, Charles (1911–1912). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. IX. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 58–60.