Ubatamushi - Ubatamushi

It is an insect belonging to the family Buprestidae in the order Coleoptera of the class Insecta. It is found in Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and China, and the subspecies Aoubatamushi is found in the Amami Islands and the Ryukyu Islands. Its body length is 24-40 mm. Its body is long and boat-shaped, black, with shiny vertical ridges on the back of its pronotum and on its upper wings, as well as many punctations and a dark copper or golden copper color. The Okinawan subspecies shines green or copper-red. It is a species that lives in pine forests, and is common in summer. The larvae live by making holes in dead pine trees or their stumps. The very similar Satsuma Ubatamamushi has a flattened, wide ridge on its back, is darker, and is common in warm regions. The Ubatamamushi is generally thought to be a beautiful female Buprestidae, but it is a completely different species.

[Takehiko Nakane]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱甲虫目タマムシ科に属する昆虫。本州、四国、九州および朝鮮半島、台湾、中国に分布し、奄美諸島(あまみしょとう)や琉球諸島(りゅうきゅうしょとう)には亜種アオウバタマムシを産する。体長24～40ミリメートル。体は長めの船形で、黒色で前胸背面と上ばねに光沢のある縦の隆起があるほか、点刻が多く、暗い銅色か金銅色を帯びる。沖縄の亜種は緑か赤銅色に光る。マツ林にすむ種で、夏に多い。幼虫は枯れたマツやその切り株に穴をあけてすむ。よく似たサツマウバタマムシは背面の隆起が平たく広がり、黒みが強く、暖地に多い。一般にウバタマムシは美しいタマムシの雌と思われていることがあるが、まったくの別物である。

［中根猛彦］

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