<i>Rapala suleymani</i> sp. n., (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) a new thecline butterfly species from west-central Turkey (Republic of Türkiye), with observations on its ecology

Earlier in 2025 we reported the remarkable presence of a new thecline lycaenid butterfly, ' Atara (= Rapala ) arata (Bremer, 1881)' in west-central Turkey (Republic of Türkiye) in late May and early June 2024. Although several specimens were seen in that period, only one worn and damaged male specimen was secured, on 4 June. The habitat was visited again in April 2025, when several fresh specimens were collected, including a pair in copula . The recently raised genus ' Atara ' Zhdanko, 1996, split from Rapala Moore, 1881, appears not to have been widely accepted in the specialist literature. As a result, we provisionally return to Rapala in describing and illustrating Rapala suleymani sp. n. Detailed observations on the ecology of this butterfly are presented.