Kinmonga - Kinmonga

A moth belonging to the order Lepidoptera and the family Acanthidae. Its wingspan is about 30 mm. Its wings are black, with a large pale yellow pattern on the forewings, and the hind wings have a wide pale yellow center. Its antennae are simple like those of a butterfly, but the tips are not swollen. It appears twice a year, in spring and summer, and can be found in both plains and mountainous areas. It is a diurnal fly, flying around like a butterfly during the day. It is distributed in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and in Kyushu, individuals with white yellow parts are often seen. A species endemic to Japan. The larvae feed on the leaves of the Cleaver. Its body is covered in a white wax-like substance, and when it pupates between leaves, it mixes this substance into the cocoon to make a white cocoon, and the pupa is also covered in white powder. It overwinters as a pupa.

[Hiroshi Inoue]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱鱗翅(りんし)目フタオガ科に属するガ。はねの開張30ミリメートル内外。はねは黒く、前翅には淡黄色の大きな紋があり、後翅ははねの中央部が広く淡黄色。触角はチョウのように単純であるが、先が膨れていない。春と夏の2回出現し、平地にも山地にもいる。昼飛性で、日中チョウのように飛び回る。本州、四国、九州に分布し、九州では、黄色部の白い個体がよくみられる。日本特産種。幼虫はリョウブの葉を食べる。体は白蝋(はくろう)状の物質で覆われ、葉間などで蛹化(ようか)するとき、繭にこの物質を混ぜて白い繭をつくるし、蛹(さなぎ)も白粉に覆われている。蛹で越冬する。

［井上　寛］

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