A review of the genus Rapala Moore, 1881 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae) of Nepal with insights on little-known species.

The taxonomy ofRapalaMoore, 1881 in Nepal remains problematic due to historical misidentifications, taxonomic reclassifications, and the absence of comprehensive identification keys. This study reviewsRapalaspecies documented in Nepal based on field observations by the authors, available citizen science data, literature review, and museum specimens. A total of 13Rapalaspecies are recognized from Nepal under current taxonomy. The historical taxonomic confusion betweenRapala rectivitta (Moore, 1879) andR. rosaceade Nicville, [1889], in Nepal is discussed, withR. rosacea, having previously been considered asR. rectivitta,formally recognized in Nepals butterfly fauna for the first time. Additionally, new evidence ofR. rectivittafrom Nepal is provided. The taxonomic status ofR. huangiNakamura & Seki, 2017 is reaffirmed as valid, warranting its inclusion in Nepals faunal list. It is also documented for the first time from NE India. The status ofR. hinomaruFujioka, 1970 is revised; we propose it as a junior subjective synonym ofR. nissa(Kollar, [1844]), syn. nov. To facilitate species identification, images of live and spread specimens of all the documentedRapalaspecies in Nepal are provided, along with images of male and female genitalia and dichotomous keys.