Natural-Japan.net

Magnificent!! This is the largest species of dragonfly in Japan and, at 10cm long, it’s an impressive sight. This one was zooming around a clearing and it flew just above my head several times before settling on a remarkably convenient perch — convenient enough for me to sneak up and take lots of photos. I was amazed at how tolerant he was of me and I managed to get within about 50cm before he flew away. A few fly-bys later he settled back on the exact same plant so I took even more photos. I loved the way he cleaned his big green eyes with his forelegs — he’s got to keep his eyes clean to hunt on the wing.

Odonata: Cordulegastridae
Anotogaster sieboldii
golden-ringed dragonfly = oni-yanma

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

I often see these big black and white weevils hanging onto leaves like a cross between a koala and a (very small) panda! They walk very deliberately and drop off the leaf when disturbed. I think they are among my favourites.

Coleoptera: Curculionidae (weevils)
Mesalcidodes trifidus
Weevil = ojiro-ashi-naga-zoumushi

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

I think somebody has made a bit of a mistake here! Take a closer look…

Coleoptera: Curculionidae (weevils)
Mesalcidodes trifidus
Weevil = ojiro-ashi-naga-zoumushi

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

It’s remarkable how these Japanese beetles skeletonize leaves — they’re little artists really!!

Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae (Shining Leaf Chafers)
Popillia japonica
Japanese beetle = mame-kogane

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

These huge katydids (bush-crickets) are everywhere at the moment. They sit perfectly camouflaged on leaves and then half jump, half crawl into the foliage making so much disturbance that it’s like a much larger animal is lurking there. Once you get used to spotting them before they disappear, it’s possible to sneak up and take photos.

Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae
Gampsocleis buergeri
Japanese katydid = kiri-girisu

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

Such a beautiful weevil… but my photos are very poor. The evening was setting in and I was among trees and the weevil was only 3mm long… If I find one again, I will catch it and take the photo in a well-lit place to show off the metallic gold and green.

Coleoptera: Curculionidae (weevils)
Euops splendidus
Weevil = kashi-ruri-otoshibumi

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

I stood taking photos of these hornets for quite a while but I think I should have been able to take better shots than these. I’ll try again next time. I guess there were 7 or 8 of them flying around and there’s a possibility I was nervous… Nah, I was fine. That’s just an excuse for poor photography!!

Hymenoptera: Vespidae
Vespa ducalis
(synonym = Vespa tropica pulchra)

hornet = hime-suzume-bachi

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

Jumping bristletails are primitive wingless insects that are thought to have been around 390 million years ago.

Archaeognatha
Jumping bristletail = ishi-nomi

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

Today was Longhorn Beetle day for me! I went out for 4 hours between downpours and walked around my local area to see what I could find. Everywhere I looked I spotted longhorns: 9 species in total. Not bad. Well, just to put that figure into perspective… there are about 800 species of longhorn beetle in Japan!

Left = Psacothea hilaris hilaris; Right = Prionus insularis

Left = Chlorophorus quinquefasciatus; Right = Chlorophorus annularis

Left = Paraglenea fortunei; Right = Allotraeus rufescens

Left = Uraecha bimaculata; Right = Mesosa longipennis

Monochamus subfasciatus

Coleoptera: Cerambycidae:
Longhorn beetles = kamikiri

Location: Munakata Common (Google map)

I decided to go to one of my favourite insect-hunting spots today. It’s a hot 3km walk from my house but it’s worth the effort because the place is always teeming with life. The path leaves the road next to a stream and climbs up through overgrown sweet chestnut groves to some mikan orchards on the side of the hill. I never seem to make it to the top in summer because there’s so much to see (and photograph!) on the way up. What takes me 30 minutes to walk in the winter takes 4 or 5 hours in the summer!

I found three stick insects of two different species at the entrance to the path today. There were two male red-striped stick insects (eda-nanafushi) and one Japanese spiny stick insect (toge-nanafushi).

Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae
Phraortes illepidus
stick insect = eda-nanafushi

Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae
Neohirasea japonica
stick insect = toge-nanafushi

Location: forest area near Ikeda Village in Munakata (aerial photo)
Map: Google map link