''Rapala'' is a genus of

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...

in the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

Deudorigini of the subfamily

Theclinae The subfamily Theclinae is a group of butterflies, often referred to as hairstreaks, with some species instead known as elfins or by other names. The group is part of the family Lycaenidae, the "gossamer-winged butterflies". There are many trop ...

of the family

Lycaenidae Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly ...

. They are found throughout

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

, with a few species extending to Australia and into the eastern

Palaearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Si ...

region. Males of ''Rapala'' are differentiated from other

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...

in the Deudorigini by their

genitalia A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, ...

, with the conjoined

valvae In biology, a clasper is a male anatomical structure found in some groups of animals, used in mating. Male cartilaginous fish have claspers formed from the posterior portion of their pelvic fin which serve to channel semen into the female's ...

tapering evenly to rounded apices. The male secondary sexual characters also differ. In every species there is a brand above the origin of vein seven and lying wholly within space seven, clothed with very small scent scales, and nearly always there is an associated erectile hair tuft on the forewing dorsum beneath. Almost all species exhibit

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

in the colour of the upperside; normally the male is red, reddish brown or deep blue, while the female is dark brown or pale purple blue.

Selected species

* ''

Rapala arata ''Rapala arata'', the Japanese flash, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from Russia (Amur, Ussuri, Sakhalin and the southern Kuriles), north-eastern China, Korea and Japan. The habitat consists of brook banks, meadows and t ...

'' (Bremer, 1861) * ''

Rapala cassidyi ''Rapala cassidyi'', the Cassidy's flash is a Lycaenidae, lycaenid butterfly found in Sulawesi.Vane-Wright R.I. & de Jong R., The Butterflies of Sulawesi, NMNH, 2003. It was discovered in 1985 during the Project Wallace expedition of the Royal E ...

'' * ''

Rapala christopheri ''Rapala christopheri'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was described by David A. Lane and Chris J. Müller in 2006. It is endemic to East Timor.Müller, C. J. (2006). "New species and subspecies of ''Rapala'' Moore and ''Deudorix ...

'' (Lane & Müller, 2006) * ''

Rapala dioetas ''Rapala dioetas'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was observed by the British naturalist William Chapman Hewitson in 1863. It is Endemism, endemic to Sulawesi (Sulawesi, Sanghihe, Talaud, Banggai and Salayar).Adalbert Seitz, Seitz, A ...

'' * ''

Rapala diopites ''Rapala diopites'' is a species of butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found on the Philippines. Subspecies *''Rapala diopites diopites'' *''Rapala diopites alcetas'' (Staudinger, 1889) (Philippines: Palawan, Luzon) *''Rapala diopites ...

'' * ''

Rapala iarbus ''Rapala iarbus'', the common red flash, is a species of lycaenid Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossam ...

'' * ''

Rapala lankana ''Rapala lankana'', the Malabar flash, is a species of Lycaenidae, lycaenid or blue butterfly found in South India and Sri Lanka. It was first described by Frederic Moore in 1879. Description Male: Upperside: Both wings deep purple, almost dull ...

'' * ''

Rapala melampus ''Baspa melampus'', the Indian red flash Retrieved April 19, 2018. is a species of blue (Lycaenidae) butterfly found in South-East Asia. Range The butterfly occurs in Sri Lanka and in India from South India to Orissa, and, in the north fro ...

'' * ''

Rapala manea ''Rapala manea'', slate flash, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in most of the Indomalayan realm (excluding Taiwan). The wingspan is 24–26 mm. Adult males have dark brown wings with a hint of purple on the cell are ...

'' (Hewitson,

863 __NOTOC__ Year 863 ( DCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * September 3 – Battle of Lalakaon: A Byzantine army confronts ...

* ''

Rapala melida ''Rapala melida'' or Frustorfer's Flash, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was described by Hans Fruhstorfer in 1912. It is found in the Indomalayan realm The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends ...

'' * ''

Rapala nemorensis Rapala ( ) is a manufacturer of fishing lures and other fishing related products. It was founded in Finland in 1936 by Lauri Rapala, who is credited for creating the world's first floating minnow lure carved from cork with a shoemaker's knif ...

'' Oberthür, 1914 * ''

Rapala repercussa Rapala ( ) is a manufacturer of fishing lures and other fishing related products. It was founded in Finland in 1936 by Lauri Rapala, who is credited for creating the world's first floating minnow lure carved from cork with a shoemaker's knif ...

'' Leech, 1890 * ''

Rapala rhoecus ''Rapala rhoecus'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was described by Lionel de Nicéville in 1895. It is found in the Indomalayan realm The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of So ...

'' * ''

Rapala schistacea ''Rapala manea'', slate flash, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in most of the Indomalayan realm (excluding Taiwan). The wingspan is 24–26 mm. Adult males have dark brown wings with a hint of purple on the cell area of ...

'' * ''

Rapala scintilla ''Rapala scintilla'', the scarce slate flash, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and int ...

'' * ''

Rapala selira Rapala ( ) is a manufacturer of fishing lures and other fishing related products. It was founded in Finland in 1936 by Lauri Rapala, who is credited for creating the world's first floating minnow lure carved from cork with a shoemaker's knif ...

'' * ''

Rapala sphinx ''Rapala sphinx'', the brilliant flash, is a species of lycaenid Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer ...

'' * ''

Rapala suffusa ''Rapala suffusa'', the suffused flash, is a lycaenid or blue butterfly found in Myanmar, northern India, Assam, Thailand, Indochina and Palawan. The species was first described by Frederic Moore Frederic Moore FZS (13 May 1830 – 10 May ...

'' * ''

Rapala tomokoae ''Rapala tomokoae'' is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae first described by Hisakazu Hayashi, Heinz G. Schroeder and Colin G. Treadaway in 1978. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its forewing length is 17–19 mm. Subspecies *''Rapa ...

'' H. Hayashi, Schrőder & Treadaway,

978 Year 978 ( CMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Pankaleia: Rebel forces under General Bardas Skleros are defeated ...

/small> * ''

Rapala varuna ''Rapala varuna'', the indigo flash, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the so ...

References

External links

Images representing ''Rapala''
at

Consortium for the Barcode of Life The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) was an international initiative dedicated to supporting the development of DNA barcoding as a global standard for species identification. CBOL's Secretariat Office is hosted by the National Museum of ...

"''Rapala'' Moore, [1881]"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' Rapala (butterfly)"> Lycaenidae genera Taxa named by Frederic Moore">Lycaenidae genera">Rapala (butterfly)"> Lycaenidae genera Taxa named by Frederic Moore {{Theclinae-stub