Looking at this butterfly it is easy to understand why it is called ‘The Emperor of India’. With its shimmering greens, bright yellows and delicate blacks, this rare butterfly is a visual delight.

This magnificent butterfly is found along the Eastern Himalayas (West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim and Manipur) in India. In these areas, it occurs at medium and higher elevations from 6000 to 10,000 feet in well-wooded terrain.

It has a strong and fast flight. It usually flies at tree-top level but when there is strong morning sunlight it descends to sit on low vegetation. April to July is the period when it is in flight. Its eggs are laid on the underside of leaves and are pale purplish red in colour and smooth and spherical in shape.