Tue 3 Jul 2007
There were several of these scarlet camphor longhorns (kusu-beni-kamikiri) on a sweet chestnut tree in the park (where I found the frogs). They were very cooperative – easy to catch and easy to photograph. I wish all insects would pose so nicely!
Coleoptera: Cerambycidae
Pyrestes nipponicus = kusu-beni-kamikiri
= scarlet camphor longhorns
Tue 3 Jul 2007
Driving home from the Education Center in Sasaguri, I came across a nice little park on the side of a mountain. The pond was full of life, including lots of these black-spotted pond frogs (tonosama-gaeru) and their tadpoles (otamajakushi).
Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae
Rana nigromaculata = tonosama-gaeru
= black-spotted pond frog
Sun 1 Jul 2007
Coleoptera: Cerambycidae (Longhorns)
Oberea mixta = nise-ringo-kamikiri (Apple borer)
Sun 1 Jul 2007
This is the second time I’ve found one of these huge craneflies (Mikado gaganbo), but the last time I couldn’t get decent photos. I actually trod on this one by accident and it suffered no harm, so they seem to be pretty tough creatures! As you can see from the photo of me holding it, this really is a big insect, with a wingspan of around 8cm and a legspan of 15cm. Harmless of course, but I’m sure it would scare many people! [In comparison, the craneflies common in the UK are around 5 or 6cm from legtip to legtip.]
Diptera: Tipulidae
Ctenacroscelis mikado = Mikado gaganbo
Sun 1 Jul 2007
The first stag beetle of the year: Little Stag Beetle (ko-kuwagata). This one was running up a bank at the side of a path next to a pond (near Konominato in Fukuoka). This species is very common in Japan, and its range extends throughout the whole country and much of East Asia.
Coleoptera: Lucanidae
Dorcus rectus = ko-kuwagata (little stag beetle)
Sun 1 Jul 2007
I found a field on a mountainside that I’d never visited before (between Munakata and Okagaki). Lots of insects but I couldn’t spend long there unfortunately (work to do…).
Although they are common, I’m always happy to see 28-spotted ladybirds (oo-nijuuya-hoshi-tentou).
Coleoptera: Coccinellidae
Epilachna vigintioctomaculata = oo-nijuuya-hoshi-tentou (greater 28-spotted ladybird)