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Monthly Archives: May 2006
Atkinsonia ignipicta
Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae Atkinsonia ignipicta = seguro-beni-togeashi-ga (literal translation = red-backed hairy-legged moth) Location = kurate tsurugidake shizen kouen (Mt. Tsurugi Nature Park in Kurate) Google map = here
Posted in Insects, Lepidoptera
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Carrion beetles
Wow, this dead worm must have been really delicious!! It was being fed upon by a whole nest of ants, some flies, and no less than eight black carrion beetles (oohirata shidemushi). The beetles seemed to be in almost a … Continue reading
Posted in Coleoptera, Insects
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Japanese carpenter bee
Walking along a path in Tsurugidake Nature Park (in Kurate, Fukuoka), I was stopped in my tracks by this big male carpenter bee (kumabachi = “bear bee” in Japanese) which kept flying straight towards me and hovering in front of … Continue reading
Posted in Hymenoptera, Insects
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Mt. Tsurugi in Kurate
It was a beautiful morning, so I decided to visit Mt. Tsurugi Nature Park (tsurugidake shizenkouen), which is located in Kurate, Fukuoka Prefecture. I drive within about a kilometer of the park every morning on my way to work, but … Continue reading
Posted in Mountains
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Four-lined ratsnake
This beautiful ratsnake was just coming down a concrete embankment when I saw it. I’m not sure, but it seemed like it had just shed it’s skin because it was so bright and soft. I held it for quite a … Continue reading
Posted in Reptiles
2 Comments
Green Pheasant
If anyone had seen me stalking this green pheasant (kiji) they’d have had a good laugh! I followed him, crouching or crawling (me not the bird), for about a kilometer through the fields, snapping a few far-off shots, before finally … Continue reading
Posted in Birds
6 Comments
Flower Longhorn
This longhorn was a little tough to identify because the pictures in my beetle books show much more patterning on the elytra (hence the name 8-spotted). However, I eventually found out that this species shows enormous variation in patterning and … Continue reading
Posted in Coleoptera, Insects
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Crow Snake
As I was walking past a farmer’s house, I saw this crow snake (karasu-hebi) lying in the grass at the side of the driveway. At first I thought it was probably dead because it wasn’t moving and the farmer was … Continue reading
Posted in Reptiles
3 Comments
Ant Queen
I caught two of these winged queen ants today. At 15mm long, this is the biggest species of ant I’ve ever found. It’s called kuro-oo-ari (black-big-ant) and is common throughout Japan. Japanese ant database: http://ant.edb.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/E/Taxo/F80902.html Hymenoptera: Formicidae (ants) Camponotus japonicus … Continue reading
Posted in Hymenoptera, Insects
1 Comment
Colourful Leaf Beetle
This is a really beautiful little beetle with metallic red/green wing cases (elytra). The species occurs throughout Japan and is also found in Siberia. Apparently it’s a pest of grapes, so it appears on the “regulated” lists in the USA … Continue reading
Posted in Coleoptera, Insects
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