Uraginshijimi - Uraginshijimi

This butterfly belongs to the family Lycaenidae in the order Lepidoptera of the class Insecta. There are two theories about classifying the genus Curetis : one that it belongs to the subfamily Curetisinae of the family Lycaenidae, and another that it belongs to the family Curetisidae, which is separate from the family Lycaenidae. It is a warm-climate species that is distributed in warm regions south of the Kanto region and lives in evergreen broad-leaved forests. Outside of Japan, it is found on the Korean Peninsula, China, and Taiwan. Its wing span is around 40 millimeters. The base color of the upper part of the wings is blackish brown, with orange-red markings in males and slightly bluish white markings in females. The underside is silvery white with no markings, and the Japanese name comes from this characteristic color tone.

They emerge two to three times a year, with the summer type appearing from June to September, and the autumn type, with extremely pointed tips of their prostaglandins, appearing from around September to late autumn, overwintering as adults by clinging to the undersides of evergreen leaves. The larvae feed on legumes such as wisteria, wisteria yamamaya, sophora japonica, and black japonica, eating flower buds, fruits, and new shoots.

[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。ウラギンシジミ属Curetisは、シジミチョウ科の1亜科ウラギンシジミ亜科とする説と、シジミチョウ科とは別のウラギンシジミ科に分類する説がある。暖地性の種で、関東地方以南の暖地に分布し、照葉樹林帯に生息する。国外では朝鮮半島、中国、台湾に産する。はねの開張40ミリメートル内外。はねの表面の地色は黒褐色で、雄では橙赤(とうせき)色の、雌ではやや青みを帯びた白色の斑紋(はんもん)がある。裏面は銀白色で無紋、和名はこの色調の特徴に由来する。

　1年に2～3回発生し、夏型は6～9月に、前ばねの先端が極端にとがった秋型は9月ごろから晩秋にかけて現れ、成虫の状態で常緑樹の葉裏にしがみついて越冬する。幼虫の食草はフジ、ヤマフジ、クララ、ハマエンジュ、クロヨナなどのマメ科の植物で、花つぼみ、実、新芽などを食べる。

［白水　隆］

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