Swallowtails: kaiser-i-hind swallowtail
(Teinopalpus imperialis imperatrix)
(Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Papilioninae)
Profile prepared by the Xerces Society
The kaiser-i-hind is a very rare, stunning swallowtail known from Nepal to southern Myanmar. It is threatened by over collecting and rapid destruction of the high elevation forests upon which it depends.
This butterfly is listed as threatened by the IUCN.
Please contact The Xerces Society for information on how to obtain permission to use this image.
The kaiser-i-hind is a superb green, black and orange tailed butterfly.
This butterfly is restricted to mountainous wooded districts, where it flies high in the canopy of broad leafed evergreen forest. The caterpillar is green with a large head and eats the laurel like shrub, Daphne spp.
The kaiser-i-hind is found from Nepal to Myanmar and in two Chinese provinces. Although they are widely distributed they are very localized and rare.
This butterfly is very localized and never abundant and only survives in intact forests. Much of the forest habitat in these regions is under great pressure from logging and development. It is threatened by over collecting and rapid destruction of the high elevation forests upon which it depends.
The best way to protect this species is to protect the forest habitat where it remains and impose collecting restrictions.
Collins, N. Mark and Michael G. Morris. 1985. Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book. IUCN, Cambridge, U.K. 401 pp. (see pp. 299 to 300).
Xerces response to 12 month finding
Agreement between USFWS and conservation groups
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide Advocate. 2002. In Danger: Kaiser-I-Hind Butterfly