Benishijimi (English name: small copper)

A butterfly belonging to the order Lepidoptera, family Lycaenidae. In Japan, it is one of the most common species of lycaenid, found from Hokkaido to Kyushu, but not found south of the Tokara Islands. Outside Japan, it is found in a very wide range of habitats, from the Korean Peninsula and China to Europe, in the northern and central Eurasian continent. Wing span is about 32 mm. In the spring and autumn types, the upper surface of the forewings is orange-red with nine black spots and black borders, making it very beautiful and distinctive, but in the summer type, the black scales spread out, and in particular in males, they turn almost completely black. They appear several times a year, and are often found in grasslands such as roadsides and wastelands from early spring to autumn. The larvae feed on plants of the Polygonaceae family, such as sorrel and Rumex. They spend the winter as larvae.

[Takashi Shiramizu]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱鱗翅(りんし)目シジミチョウ科に属するチョウ。日本では北海道より九州にわたって各地にもっとも普通にみられるシジミチョウの1種。ただし吐噶喇(とから)列島以南には分布しない。国外では朝鮮半島、中国からヨーロッパにかけて、ユーラシア大陸の北・中部にきわめて広く分布する。はねの開張32ミリメートル内外。春型、秋型では前ばねの表は橙赤(とうせき)色で、9個の黒点と黒い縁どりがあり、きわめて美しく、また特徴的であるが、夏型では黒鱗が広がり、とくに雄では完全に近く黒化する。年数回の発生で、早春より秋まで路傍、荒れ地などの草地に多い。幼虫の食草はスイバ、ギシギシなどのタデ科植物。幼虫の状態で冬を越す。

［白水　隆］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例