page_title: Teinopalpus imperialis
section_title: Female
hierarchical_section_title: Teinopalpus imperialis / Description / Female
caption_attribution_description: Modified Teinopalpus imperialis female image
context_page_description: Teinopalpus imperialis, the Kaiser-i-Hind, is a rare species of swallowtail butterfly found from Nepal and north India east to north Vietnam. The common name literally means "emperor of India". The Kaiser-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.
context_section_description: Much larger, differs also in coloration and markings as follows: Upperside, forewings: the irroration of green scales on the terminal two-thirds restricted to a sub-terminal moderately broad band diffuse along its inner edge, and a medial somewhat ill-defined similar band that is bordered both on the inner and outer sides by diffuse dusky black; this is succeeded by two broad diffuse transverse dark grey bands, the outer of the two edged on its outer side narrowly with black, followed by a subterminal green band and terminal velvety-black margin. Hindwing: the upper discal yellow patch so conspicuous in the male, replaced by a very much larger dark grey patch, below which comparatively narrow markings of yellow extend up to the dorsum; a postdiscal sinuous lunular narrow black band and a subterminal series of green lunules as in the male, but the apical lunule dark grey, not yellow; the tail-like extensions of the termen at the apices of veins 3 to 6 are black shaded with green, those at the apices of veins 4 and 6 tipped, the former with yellow the latter with greenish-white. Underside similar to the underside in the male, but on both forewing and hindwing the areas coloured with rich ochraceous and yellow are grey, with the exception of a well-marked moderately broad subterminal band on the forewing which is of a dull ochraceous colour; on the hindwing the grey discal area extends right up to the apical lunule of the subterminal series. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in the male.
  Expanse: 90–127 mm
  The larva of this magnificent butterfly, according to Mr. Knyvett, feeds on Daphne nipalensis, but no description of that is available. It is difficult to separate the Sikkim form of this insect, even as a race. The points of difference between it and the Assam form are extremely variable, and the most prominent of these, that is, the paler tint of the grey area on the upperside of the hindwing in the female, is perhaps the most variable of all the characters. An Assam specimen of the female in the collection of the British Museum is far and away paler than any Sikkim specimen I have seen. Mr. Elwes says that in Sikkim this insect is only found in the forest region from about 6,000 to 10,000 feet (1,800 to 3,000 m) elevation, and that "it is most difficult to capture on account of its remarkably strong, rapid and dashing flight, and its habit of resting on high trees from which it flies only during a few hours of the morning" (Elwes, Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1888, p. 421). The females are much scarcer than the males. According to Col. Swinhoe, T. imperialis is common in the Khasia hills in Assam.
caption: Teinopalpus imperialis female
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "1963561/2500", "Image YResolution": "1963561/2500", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS3 (10.0x20061208 [20061208.beta.1251 02:00:00 cutoff; m branch])  Windows", "Image DateTime": "2007:03:03 08:17:24", "Image ExifOffset": "228", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "366", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "4577", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "855", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "671"}