Stonefly - Stonefly

An insect belonging to the order Plecoptera and family Neocapidae of the class Insecta. It is found in the northern Kinki region and the central Tohoku region, where it can be found on the snow in early spring. It can also be found on the snowy plains of high mountains in summer, and is also known as a snow fly. It is a slender black insect about 10 mm long, and both males and females have no wings. There is a pair of slender tail hairs at the end of the abdomen. The larvae live underwater. It has been reported that the larvae of foreign species hibernate in summer, but there have been no reports of this happening for Japanese species. In addition to this species, two other species in this genus are known in Japan, and five species are known in the closely related genus Allocapniella .

[Teiji Kawai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱カワゲラ目クロカワゲラ科に属する昆虫。近畿地方北部から東北地方中部に分布し、早春の雪上にみられる。高山の雪渓上では夏季でもみられ、セッケイムシの名もある。体長10ミリメートル前後、黒色の細長い昆虫で、雌雄ともはねがない。腹端には細長い尾毛が1対ある。幼虫は水中生活をする。外国産の種属には、幼虫が夏に夏眠することが報告されているが、日本産の種についてはまだ報告がない。日本には本種のほかに本属では2種が知られており、近似の別属セッケイカワゲラモドキ属Allocapniellaに5種が知られる。

［川合禎次］

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