Rapala varuna

Rapala varuna (Horsfield, 1829)
(previously known as : Thecla varuna)
Indigo Flash
DEUDORIGINI , THECLINAE , LYCAENIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

Rapala varuna
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

These Caterpillars are yellow or green, with a dark dorsal line, and pink or white lines on each side. It has four knobs on each segment with an orange tip bearing stiff hairs.

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The Caterpillars grow to a length of about 2 cms. They feed on the flowers and shoots of various species of plants, including :

Red Ash ( Alphitonia excelsa, RHAMNACEAE ),

Millaa Millaa ( Elaeagnus triflora, ELAEAGNACEAE ),

Horse Bush ( Dendrolobium umbellatum, FABACEAE ),

Pongam ( Pongamia pinnata, FABACEAE ),

Siris ( Albizia lebbeck, MIMOSACEAE ),

Branched Wattle ( Acacia polystachya, MIMOSACEAE ),

Loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica, ROSACEAE ),

Lychee ( Litchi chinensis, SAPINDACEAE ), and

Foambark ( Jagera pseudorhus, SAPINDACEAE ).

(Photos: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The pupa is brown with darker markings, and is covered in short hairs. Its length is just over 1 cm. It is formed in debris at the foot of a foodplant.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The adult male butterflies are dark purple on top.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Todd Burrows, Tweed heads)

The females are mauve, darkening towards the margin.

(Photo: courtesy of Chris Barnes, Bundaberg)

Underneath, both sexes are pale brown, and the wings each have a diagonal darker brown line, often outlined in white. Both sexes of the adult butterfliy have two tails near the tornus of each hind wing: one tail is thin and the other is knobbly. The undersides have a black spot beside each tail. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.

male underside
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The eggs are pale blue-green and round, with a diameter of about 0.5 cm. They are laid singly on flower buds or young shoots of a foodplant.

female underside
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The species occurs as several races across south-east Asia, including

Nepal,

Philippines,

Thailand,
and as simsoni in Australia along the coast of

Queensland and

northern New South Wales.