Monthly Archives: May 2006

Atkinsonia ignipicta

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Nigel

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 | Comments Off on Atkinsonia ignipicta

Carrion beetles

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Nigel

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 | Comments Off on Carrion beetles

Japanese carpenter bee

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Nigel

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 | Comments Off on Japanese carpenter bee

Mt. Tsurugi in Kurate

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Nigel

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 | Comments Off on Mt. Tsurugi in Kurate

Four-lined ratsnake

Posted on May 28, 2006 by Nigel

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

Posted on May 27, 2006 by Nigel

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

Posted on May 22, 2006 by Nigel

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 | Comments Off on Flower Longhorn

Crow Snake

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Nigel

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

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Nigel

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

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Nigel

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 | Comments Off on Colourful Leaf Beetle