Teinopalpus imperialis
| Kaiser-i-Hind | |
|---|---|
| Teinopalpus imperialis, dorsal side of male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Teinopalpus |
| Species: | T. imperialis |
| Binomial name | |
| Teinopalpus imperialis Hope, 1843 | |
Teinopalpus imperialis, the Kaisar-i-Hind, is a rare species of swallowtail butterfly found from Nepal and north east India to north Vietnam. The common name literally means "emperor of India". The Kaisar-i-Hind is much sought after by butterfly collectors for its beauty and rarity. The green iridescence of the wings has been found to be due to three-dimensional photonic structure of the scales and is the subject of much research.