Extremely rare golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterflies spotted anew in China's Hainan

The golden Kaiser-i-Hind, or Teinopalpus aureus, a butterfly species under first-class state protection in China, was recently spotted again at the Jianfengling nature reserve of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in south China's Hainan Province.

The golden Kaiser-i-Hind is the only winged insect species under first-class state protection in China, which is considered one of the eight rarest butterfly species in the world.

Photo shows a golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly, which is under first-class state protection in China, at the Jianfengling nature reserve of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in south China's Hainan Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Hainan is one of the important natural habitats of golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterflies.

The butterfly was discovered by Mo Shiliang, a member of a project team for the survey and research of Heteroptera insects in the Jianfengling nature reserve at the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park.

Wang Jianyun from the Environment and Plant Protection Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences confirmed that it was a male golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly.

As an indicator species of biodiversity and the environment, the golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly requires high-quality habitat standards.

The re-discovery of this rare species reflects the remarkable ecological conservation achievements at the Jianfengling nature reserve, said Mo Shiqin, a senior engineer of the Jianfengling branch of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Administration.