Kaiser-i-Hind Butterfly

Subject – Environment

Context – Kaiser-i-Hind is Arunachal’s State butterfly

Concept –

An elusive swallowtail butterfly carrying ‘India’ in its name and found in next-door China will become the State butterfly of Arunachal Pradesh.
The State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday approved the large, brightly coloured Kaiser-i-Hind as the State butterfly.
The Cabinet meeting was for the first time held outside State capital Itanagar at an unusual location —Pakke Tiger Reserve.
The Cabinet also adopted the Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 declaration on climate changeresilient and responsive Arunachal Pradesh aimed at lowering emissions and sustainable development.

Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpusimperialis) literally means Emperor of India. This butterfly with a 90-120 mm wingspan is found in six States along the eastern Himalayas at elevations from 6,000-10,000 feet in well-wooded terrain.
The butterfly also flutters in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
Although the Kaiser-i-Hind is protected under Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is hunted for supply to butterfly collectors.
The two species of Kaiser-i-Hind were listed in CITES Appendix II from 1987 onwards.
The Kaiser-i-Hind would be a keystone species for conservation of high-altitude forest.