Virachola rubida

Virachola rubida (Tytler, 1926)


♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

♂ genitalia, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

ON : Rapala rubida Tytler, 1926
OD : J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 31(3): 590, pl.1, fig.18,♂.
TL : "Naga Hills" [Nagaland, NE.India].

Distribution : Nagaland, Myanmar (N.Shan States), N.Thailand.

Synonym

Virachola rosacea Tytler, 1915 : J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 24(1): 138. TL. "Naga Hills" [Nagaland, NE.India]. (Junior secondary homonym of Rapala rosacea Nicéville, 1889)

Records taken from Literature

[ THAILAND ]
Virachola rubida ; Pinratana,1981 : 145, pl.33, figs.12,♂,13,♂(Un), shown as Rapala nissa ranta. (no loc. [Doi Suthep])
Ralapa rubida ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 710, pl.324, figs.L406,♂,♂(Un). (Doi Suthep)
Virachola rubida ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 752, pl.345, figs.L423,♂,♂(Un). (Doi Suthep)
Virachola rubida ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 134, figs.♂,♂(Un). (Doi Suthep)

Specimens Examined

[ THAILAND ]
Chiang Mai : 10♂ 2♀ (incl. photo and photo by D.Sargeant), (1♂ genitalia dissected).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Notes

Only one record of the species was known from Thailand (1♂, 20.Mar.1977, Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai. S.Yamaguchi & T.Aoki) for 42 years. In 2019-20, it was rediscovered in several districts of Chiang Mai province. The butterfly is locally not rare in semi-dried montane forests at moderate elevations (Alt. 700 - 900m) and is often found around hilltops. Males are territorial on trees.
Based on morphological characteristics such as the UpH androconial patch, we consider this taxon to belong to the genus Virachola rather than Rapala.

Literature

Tytler, H.C.,1915 : Notes on some new and interesting Butterflies from Manipur and the Naga Hills.
J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 24(1): 119-155, pls.3,4, 29 figs.

Tytler, H.C.,1926 : Notes on some new and interesting Butterflies from India and Burma.
J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 31: 248-260, pl.1,4 ; (3):579-590, pl.2, 3-5.


♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand.

♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand.	♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand.	♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand.

♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by D.Sargeant)

1999.07.21 - 2024.07.31.