Rapala

Rapala (pronounced RAP-ah-lah is the world's largest manufacturer of fishing lures and other fishing related products. It was founded in Finland in the 1930s by Lauri Rapala. Their most popular product is a balsa wood minnow imitation lure called the Original Floater.

Rapala sells over 20 million lures each year, in 140 different countries. 242 all-time world-record fish were set on Rapala lures, and 15 new records in 2005. It is also the only fishing lure manufacturer that mass-produces balsa wood lures.

Company timeline

Rapala (butterfly)

Rapala is a genus of butterfly in the tribe Deudorigini of the subfamily Theclinae of the family Lycaenidae. They are found throughout the Oriental Region, with a few species extending to Australia and into the Eastern Palaearctic Region.

Males of Rapala are differentiated from other genera in the Deudorigini by the genitalia, with the conjoined valvae tapering evenly to rounded apices. The male secondary sexual characters also differ. In every species there is a brand above the origin of vein 7 and lying wholly within space 7, clothed with very small scent scales, and nearly always there is an associated erectile hair tuft on the forewing dorsum beneath.

Almost all species exhibit sexual dimorphism in the colour of the upperside; normally the male is red, reddish brown or deep blue, while the female is dark brown or pale purple blue.

Selected species