Virachola rubida (Tytler, 1926)

Virachola rubida ♂ Up. Virachola rubida ♂ Un. Virachola rubida ♀ Up. Virachola rubida ♀ Un.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Virachola rubida ♂ Up. Virachola rubida ♂ Un. Virachola rubida ♂ Up. Virachola rubida ♂ Un.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Virachola rubida ♂ Up. Virachola rubida ♂ Un.
♂ 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, [NE.India].
Distribution : Naga Hills, Myanmar (N.Shan States), N.Thailand.
Virachola rubida map

Synonym

Virachola rosacea Tytler, 1915 : J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 24(1):138. TL. Naga Hills. (homonym)
Rapala prorosacea Tytler, 1926 : J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 31(3):590. (Unavailable name)


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).
JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec


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.


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.


Virachola rubida ♂ Virachola rubida ♂
♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Virachola rubida ♂ Virachola rubida ♀
♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Virachola rubida ♂ Virachola rubida ♂
♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand. ♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Virachola rubida ♀
♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand. (photo by D.Sargeant)

1999.07.21 - 2024.07.31.

A Check list of Butterflies in Indo-China, Chiefly from THAILAND, LAOS & VIETNAM. Copyright © 1996- Y.Inayoshi.