Obafitaru - Obafitaru

It is an insect belonging to the order Coleoptera and the family Lampyridae. It is found throughout Japan, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and the Korean Peninsula. Its body length is 7-12 mm. Its body is black and flat, with a pair of red spots on the back of its pronotum, and the two distal abdominal segments are also red. Its antennae are flat and string-like. Adults appear from May to June, and are often found on grass in forests and mountainous areas, flying frequently but slowly. The larvae live on the ground and emit a weak light, but the adults do not glow. Similar species include the large-sized firefly L. accensa , which is larger than the large-sized firefly and has larger spots on its chest, and the small-sized firefly L. okadai , which has less pronounced spots on its chest.

[Takehiko Nakane]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱甲虫目ホタル科に属する昆虫。日本全土および樺太(からふと)（サハリン）、千島列島、朝鮮半島に分布する。体長7～12ミリメートル。体は黒色で平たく、前胸背面に1対の紅色斑紋(はんもん)があり、腹部末端2節も赤い。触角は紐(ひも)状で平たい。成虫は5～6月から現れ、林間や山地の草上に多く、よく飛ぶが緩やかである。幼虫は地上にすみ、弱く発光するが、成虫は光らない。近似種にはオバボタルより大形で胸の斑紋が大きいオオオバボタルL. accensaや、小形で胸の斑紋がはっきりしないコクロオバボタルL. okadaiなどがある。

［中根猛彦］

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