Kaiser-i-Hind facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kaiser-i-Hind |
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| Teinopalpus imperialis, dorsal side of male | |
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The Teinopalpus imperialis, also known as the Kaisar-i-Hind, is a very rare and beautiful swallowtail butterfly. Its name means "emperor of India." You can find this special butterfly in places like Nepal, northeastern India, and northern Vietnam.
Many butterfly collectors want the Kaisar-i-Hind because it is so rare and pretty. Its wings have a shiny green color that seems to change. Scientists have studied this green shine and found it comes from tiny, special structures on its wings. These structures are like tiny photonic crystals.
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About the Kaisar-i-Hind
The Kaisar-i-Hind butterfly is mostly green. It has a unique "swallowtail" shape on its hind wings. The male butterfly has a bright yellow patch on each of its hind wings.
Male Butterfly
The top side of the male's wings is black with many tiny green scales. On the front wings, there are black bands where the green scales are missing. The hind wings have a bright yellow patch. This patch is often mixed with orange near the front. There are also some yellow and green markings near the bottom edge of the hind wings. The tail-like parts of the wings are tipped with yellow.
The underside of the wings is different. The front part of both wings is green. The rest of the front wing is a rich brown color with black bands. The hind wing looks similar to the top side but has a larger yellow area. The antennae are dark red. The head, body, and abdomen are black, covered with green hairs and scales.
Female Butterfly
Female Kaisar-i-Hind butterflies are much bigger than the males. Their colors and patterns are also different. On the top side of their front wings, the green scales are mostly in a band near the outer edge. There are also some dark gray and black bands.
On the hind wings, the bright yellow patch seen in males is replaced by a larger dark gray patch. Below this, there are some narrow yellow markings. The tail-like parts of the wings are black with green shading. Some of these tails have yellow or greenish-white tips.
The underside of the female's wings is similar to the male's. However, the brown and yellow areas are mostly gray. There is a dull orange band on the front wing. The head, body, and antennae are like the male's.
Where it Lives
This butterfly lives in small areas of Nepal, Bhutan, and the Eastern Himalayas in India. You can find it in states like West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim, and Manipur. It also lives in northern Myanmar, northern Vietnam, and the Sichuan province of China. These butterflies are usually seen above 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) in elevation.
Its Status
The Kaisar-i-Hind is a rare butterfly. It is protected by laws in India and Nepal. However, these laws are not always enforced well. Because it is so beautiful and rare, collectors sometimes hunt it, and it can be sold for high prices. The government of Arunachal Pradesh in India recently made the Kaisar-i-Hind its state butterfly.
Since 1987, the Kaisar-i-Hind has been listed under CITES Appendix II. This means that trading this butterfly across borders is controlled to help protect it. Protecting this butterfly is important for saving the high-altitude forests where it lives. More information is needed about its habitats, especially in nearby mountain regions of China.
Its Home
The Kaisar-i-Hind lives in high-altitude forests. It prefers medium and higher elevations in the Himalayas, from 6,000 to 10,000 feet (1,800 to 3,000 meters). It likes places with lots of trees. In northeastern India, some of its forest homes are being damaged by a farming method called jhoom cultivation. The butterfly is rarely found in these damaged areas.
Its Habits
This butterfly is a very fast and strong flyer. It usually flies high up, at the level of treetops. If there is strong morning sunlight, it might fly lower. On cloudy days, male butterflies are known to come down and rest on low plants. Their dull underside colors make them hard to spot. They can stay so still that people have even caught them by hand! Female butterflies are known to fly even when it's cloudy or rainy.
Male butterflies sometimes visit damp patches on the ground or drink moisture from leaves. Females rarely visit flowers or damp spots. These butterflies can be attracted using special bait. They are often found in forest clearings and open areas on hills and mountains. Males often set up territories in these spots. They will aggressively chase away other males and look for female mates.
Life Cycle
The Kaisar-i-Hind butterfly usually flies in Sikkim in April and May. In Manipur, it flies from May to July. It probably has two generations of butterflies each year. The caterpillars of this butterfly eat the leaves of the Magnolia campbellii plant.
- Eggs: The eggs are smooth, round, and a pale purplish-red color. They are laid on the underside of leaves.
- Larva (Caterpillar): The caterpillar is green and shaped like a spindle, meaning it's wider in the middle and tapers at the ends. It has a broad head and a tail that gets narrower. The caterpillar has tiny spines on its head and long, hair-like spines on its body segments.
- Pupa (Chrysalis): The chrysalis looks similar to those of Graphium butterfly species. It has a smooth head and a noticeable horn on its back. It has a green middle section and wide yellow areas on its abdomen.
Research
The shiny green scales on the wings of the Kaisar-i-Hind are a big topic for scientists. Researchers have used special tools and computer models to study these scales. They found that the green shine comes from tiny, repeating structures that are packed together in a special way. These structures are what create the beautiful iridescent color.
See also
- Papilionidae
- List of butterflies of India
- List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae)
