Ceratovacuna nekoashi

Japanese: エゴノネコアシアブラムシ（英語表記）Ceratovacuna nekoashi

A Hemiptera insect of the Aphididae family. A type of aphid that parasitizes snowbell trees and produces galls. It is distributed from Japan and China to Southeast Asia. The galls are pale yellow-green, and the long egg-shaped sacs, each about 3 cm long, gather radially to form a flower-like shape. They are called cat galls because their shape resembles a cat's paw. In July and August, the tips of the sacs open and many winged adults appear, flying away to their secondary host, the bamboo grass. When an open gall is lightly tapped, tiny larvae fall out, and if you place one on a soft part of the skin, such as your arm, you will feel a tingling sensation.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

半翅目アブラムシ科の昆虫。エゴノキに寄生して虫癭（ちゆうえい）をつくるアブラムシの1種。日本，中国から東南アジアに分布する。虫癭は淡黄緑色で，3cm前後の長卵形の袋が放射状に集まり，花のような形になる。その形をネコの掌にみたてて，ネコアシと呼ばれる。7～8月に袋の先端が開いて翅のある成虫が多数現れ，二次寄主のチヂミザサに向かって飛び去る。開口した虫癭を軽くたたくと微小な幼虫が落下するが，これを腕など皮膚の柔らかいところにのせると，チクチク刺すのが感じられる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: The Economist

>>: Japanese snowbell - Japanese snowbell