State Butterfly- kaiser-i-hind

Lately, I have been wondering about the wonders of nature so, I better start counting on the beautiful things that nature has given us. When I thought about the smallest and prettiest one- Butterfly came into my mind first and why not? Butterflies are the most appealing and beautiful creatures in the world. They are the symbols of transformation and change.

Change certainly has something incredible in the end. In fact, The butterfly itself is an example of this beautiful transformation. The Transformation from a caterpillar to a wonderful, beautiful, and gorgeous butterfly. Perhaps the butterfly is proof that you can go through a great deal of darkness yet become something so beautiful.

They have so much to teach us- to accept the changes for a new beginning, have patience; growth is a process it took time so give yourself that time.

As Winnie The Pooh quoted-  “To become a butterfly you must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar”

There are various species of butterflies found around the globe.

Here are the top 5 endangered species butterflies found in the world-

1. Silver-studded Blue- The Silvery Blue butterfly (Polyommatus florience) belongs to the Lycanenidae family. They are found across Europe and east across the Palearctic. It has also been spotted in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and more recently in Himachal Pradesh, India.
2. Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing- named after Queen Alexandra of UK. (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest (9.8 inches to 11 inches) species of butterflies in the world. They are the strongest  and are restricted to the forests of the Oro Province in eastern Papua New Guinea.
3. Palos Verdes Blue- (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis) is the smallest butterfly (having an average wingspan of only 0.97 to 1.17 inches) and is native to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in LA, California.
4. Saturn- The Saturn ( Zeuxidia Aurelius) belongs to the Nymphalidae family. It is found in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Borneo. And have an average wingspan of 3.9 to 4.3 inches.
5. Kaiser-i-hind – The name “Kaiser-i-hind” ( Teinopalpus imperialis) means “emperor of India” belongs to the swallowtail family and is  native to India. It have a wingspan length of 4.74 inches. It is her greenish iridescence wings that make her even more appealing and attractive.

 Arunachal Pradesh’s State butterfly

Arunachal Pradesh, a state of India declared Kaiser-i-Hind as their state butterfly. kaiser-i-hind literally means “emperor of India”. It is found in six states of India (West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, and Manipur) along with some parts of southern China and Vietnam. It is one of the most elusive swallowtail butterflies which flutters at an elevation of 6000-10000 (roughly around 1800m above the terrain) It has a wingspan length of 90-120mm.

This species of butterfly is so rare and is on the red list. The first dead specimen of kaiser-i-hind was recorded in Sikkim by Usha Lauchagpa, a series forest official of the state, in 2012. and its second appearance was recorded in 2014 when a participant captured it in a camera during a butterfly-watching meet at Talle valley wildlife Sanctuary.

Although the Kaiser-i-hind is protected under Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 but to protect it from extinction government took even a more appreciable step and that is to declare it as state butterfly of the state. As the state butterfly tag can translate into its habitat conservation.

Also read: Kashi Vishwanath: History unknown