天井にホシヒメホウジャクが止まっていました。スズメガのなかまとしては小型で、35mm～40mmほどです。また、後翅の縁にこぶ状の突起があり、翅が波打っているように見えるのも特徴です。成虫で越冬することもあります。


I found a "Hoshi-Hime-Houjaku (ホシヒメホウジャク)" on the ceiling. Despite of a moth that belongs to a group of "hawk moth", they are small and 35 mm to 40 mm in length. They are characterized by the rear wings that have protrusions looking like a wave. Some of them stay over the winter as adults.

 裏道でヒメクダマキモドキを見つけました。本州では海に近い温暖な地域の林縁などでよく見られる種で、最近では都市部の公園でも見ることが多いようです。特にアカメガシワを好んで食べるようです。


I found a "Hime-Kudamaki-Modoki (ヒメクダマキモドキ)" cricket on the back road. In the main island of Japan, they are often seen on the edge of forests in warm regions near the sea. It's said that they are seen even in parks in the city these days. They like to eat leaves of "Akame-Gashiwa (アカメガシワ)" trees.

裏道を歩いていると、目の前を紫の金属光沢のある蝶が横切りました。追いかけて確認するとムラサキツバメでした。後翅に尾状突起があることが特徴で、和名のツバメはこの突起に由来します。近年数が増えていると言われている蝶で、都市部の公園等でも見ることができるようです。しばらく待っていましたが、残念ながら翅を開いて紫色の綺麗な金属光沢を見せてくれることはありませんでした。


Walking on the back road, I saw a shiny purple butterfly flying. I followed the butterfly and found out it was a "Murasaki-Tsubame (ムラサキツバメ)" butterfly. They have tails on their rear wings and "Tsubame (ツバメ)" in their name comes from these tails. It's said that their number is increasing these days, so you can see them even at parks in urban areas. The butterfly didn't open its wings or show the shiny purple on its wings, while I was waiting looking at it.

共生の森のまわりでササキリを見つけました。ホシササキリやオナガササキリなど明るい環境を好む他のササキリのなかまに比べ、林縁など薄暗い環境でよく見られます。名前の通り、ササ類を好みます。

I found a "Sasa-Kiri (ササキリ)" cricket around the Kyoseinomori-Forest (共生の森). Compared to other crickets in the same group such as "Hoshi-Sasakiri (ホシササキリ)" and "Onaga-sasakiri (オナガササキリ)" crickets, which prefer bright enviroments, they are more often seen in dark environments such as forest edges. "Sasa (ササ)" in its name means "Sasa" plants and "Sasa-Kiri" literally prefer eating Sasa plants.

共生の森でクロコノマチョウを見つけました。林床の低い位置を飛び、地面にもよくとまります。翅の裏面は枯れ葉のような模様で、あまり目立ちません。もともと南方系の蝶ですが、近年分布を北に広げています。


I found a butterfly called "Kuro-Konomachou (クロコノマチョウ)" in the Kyoseinomori-Forest (共生の森). They fly low over woodland floors and are often seen on the ground. The pattern on the backside of their wings look like dead leaves so they are well camouflaged. They originally live in southern area of Japan but now they are spreading toward the north.

ファーストオークヒルでカヤコオロギが見られます。体長は1㎝ほどで、チガヤなどが生える明るい草地に生息しています。近年、草地の減少とともに、数が減っていると言われています。コオロギの一種ですが、翅は短く、鳴くことはできません。


I found crickets called "Kaya-Koorogi (カヤコオロギ)" in the First Oak Hill. They are about 4 cm in body length and live in sunny grasslands. In these years, as grasslands are decreasing, "Kaya-Koorogi" crickets are also reducing in their number. They are a kind of crickets, which are well known as a singing insect group, but they have short wings and cannot sing.

アザミの花にコアオハナムグリが来ていました。春から秋にかけてみられ、個体数も多い普通種です。主に花の蜜や花粉を食べています。背中全体に毛が生えていることが特徴です。


I found a beetle called "Ko-Ao-Hanamuguri (コアオハナムグリ)" on a thistle flower. They are a common species that can be seen from spring to fall. They eat nectar and pollens of flowers. They have hair on their entire backs.

 ムラサキシラホシカメムシを見つけました。草むらなどでよく見かける5㎜ほどの小さなカメムシです。キク科やマメ科、イネ科など様々な植物につきます。この個体はシソ科の植物についていました。似た仲間が何種かいますが、本種は光沢があり、二つの白い紋が他種に比べ大きいという特徴があります。


I found a stink bug called "Murasaki-Shirahoshi-Kamemushi (ムラサキシラホシカメムシ)". They are about 5 mm in length and often seen in grassy places. They eat wide variety of plants such as those of composite family, pea family and grass family. This sting bug was seen on a plant of mint family. There are some similar species to this one. This species is shiny and their two white spots are larger than the other ones.

 本館前のソテツでコゲチャサビカミキリを見つけました。もともとは南方系のカミキリムシだったようですが、現在は千葉県以西に見られる小型のカミキリムシです。


I found a longhorn beetle called "Kogecha-sabi-kamikiri" on Japanese sago palms in front of the main building. They are a small longhorn beetle which originally live in the southern area of Japan but now they are seen in the west of Chiba prefecture.

蛍光灯の下でクチバスズメを見つけました。先日紹介した、モモスズメに似ていますが、より大型で、羽の模様が少し違います（モモスズメの記事はこちら）。和名は朽ち葉の意味で、羽の模様が枯れ葉のように見えることに由来するようです。


I found a "Kuchiba-Suzume (クチバスズメ)" moth under a fluorescent light. They are similar to "Momo-Suzume (モモスズメ)" moths I posted about the other day, but "Kuchiba-Suzume (クチバスズメ)" moths are lager and their patterns on wings are little different. Click here to read an article about the "Momo-Suzume (モモスズメ)" moths. The name comes from the fact that the colors and patterns on their wings look like dead leaves.