Akebikonoha - Akebikonoha

A large moth belonging to the family Noctuidae in the order Lepidoptera of the class Insecta. Its wingspan reaches 50 mm, and its forewings are dead leaf-like and greenish brown; when at rest, it hides its beautiful yellow hindwings with black markings underneath. The larvae appear on Akebia plants as well as on the Mube plants in gardens, so they are often seen in residential areas. They are distributed from the Himalayas to China, Japan, and the Amur region of the Russian Federation. A similar leaf moth is widely distributed in Asia, and is common in the tropical regions of Africa and South America. In Japan, other species that produce this moth include the dwarf Akebia leaf moth and the Kimaeco leaf moth. All of them fly into orchards at night, sucking the juices from ripe fruits such as peaches, grapes, pears, and mandarin oranges, causing great damage.

[Shigeo Sugi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱鱗翅(りんし)目ヤガ科に属する大形のガ。はねの開張は50ミリメートルに達し、前翅は枯れ葉状で緑褐色、静止するとき、美しい黄色に黒色紋のある後翅をその下に隠す。幼虫はアケビのほか庭園のムベに発生するので、住宅地でみることも多い。ヒマラヤから中国、日本、ロシア連邦アムール地方に分布する。類似のコノハガはアジアに広く分布するほか、アフリカ、南アメリカの熱帯に多い。日本ではほかにヒメアケビコノハやキマエコノハを産する。いずれも夜間果樹園に飛来し、モモ、ブドウ、ナシ、ミカンなどの熟果の液を吸って大害を与える。

［杉　繁郎］

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