‘Kaiser-i-Hind’: Arunachal’s State Butterfly

• 15 Nov 2021

• The State Cabinet of Arunachal Pradesh has approved the large, brightly coloured Kaiser-i-Hind as the State butterfly.
• Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) literally means Emperor of India.
• This butterfly is found in six States along the eastern Himalayas at elevations from 6,000-10,000 feet in well-wooded terrain.
• The butterfly is also found 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 conservation status of Kaiser-i-Hind’ (Teinopalpus imperialis) in IUCN Red List is ‘Near Threatened’.