Skipper - Skipper

A butterfly belonging to the order Lepidoptera, family Hesperiidae. It is found widely throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to the Nansei Islands, but it can overwinter in warm areas south of the Kanto region, and those found north of the Kanto region or in cold mountainous areas are migrants from the south. Outside of Japan, it is widely distributed from the Korean Peninsula and China to the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. The wingspan is about 35 mm. The base color of the wings is dark brown, and there are several white spots on the forewings and hindwings. The Japanese name was given because the white spots on the hindwings are lined up in a straight horizontal line. The first generation of adults, which overwinter as larvae and then emerge, appear in southwestern Japan from May. The second generation occurs in July, and the third generation in August to September. The population is at its highest from late August to early September, and during this period large flocks moving in the same direction are often observed from the Kanto region to the Kinki region. The larvae feed on rice plants and are known as rice beetles or rice bugs (also known as rice beetles). During the wintering season, the larvae also feed on various grass weeds.

[Takashi Shiramizu]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱鱗翅(りんし)目セセリチョウ科に属するチョウ。北海道から南西諸島にわたり日本全土に広くみられるが、越冬可能な地域は関東以南の暖地で、関東以北または寒冷の山岳地でみられるものは南方からの移動個体である。外国では朝鮮半島、中国からヒマラヤ、東南アジアにかけて広く分布する。はねの開張35ミリメートル内外。はねの地色は暗褐色、前ばねと後ろばねに数個の白色斑紋(はんもん)がある。和名は、後ろばねの白斑が正しく横一文字状に並ぶことからつけられた。幼虫態で越冬し、それから羽化する第1化の成虫は西南日本では5月から現れる。第2化は7月、第3化は8～9月に発生し、8月下旬から9月上旬にかけてもっとも個体数が多く、この時期には関東地方から近畿地方にかけて同一方向に向かう大群の移動がしばしば観察される。幼虫の食草はイネで、幼虫はハマクリムシまたはツトムシ（別名イネツトムシ）の名で知られるイネの害虫。越冬期にはイネ科の各種雑草も幼虫の食草となる。

［白水　隆］

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