Enmamushi - Enmamushi

This insect belongs to the family Coleoptera, order Insecta. It is found throughout Japan, the Korean peninsula, China, and other areas. Its body length is 9-12 mm. It is black, shiny, sturdy, and nearly circular. Its head is small and has a semicircular groove, and there is a groove along the anterior and lateral edges of the dorsal surface of the pronotum. Of the seven grooves on each upper wing, the inner two are only visible at the rear, the rear ends of the wings are truncated, and the two tail segments on the dorsal surface of the abdomen are exposed. It gathers around feces and rotting animal matter.

Approximately 3,500 species of beetles in the Histeridae family are known, and over 70 species have been recorded in Japan. They are characterized by a sturdy body, a truncated rear edge of the upper wing, two exposed segments of the tail, and antennae that are bent like knees and have thick rounded tips. Most species have disc-shaped bodies, but there are also egg-shaped, rectangular, and cylindrical ones. Their body color is usually black, but there are also many that are reddish brown or metallic in color. Some species, such as the flat-headed Histeridae, which live under the bark of dead trees and prey on other insects, are rectangular and flat. Most gather on dung and animal corpses to prey on maggots, and some are found on mushrooms and rotting or fermented vegetable matter. Some live in ant nests.

[Takehiko Nakane]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱甲虫目エンマムシ科に属する昆虫。日本各地および朝鮮半島、中国などに分布する。体長9～12ミリメートル。黒色で光沢があり、頑丈で円形に近い。頭は小さく、半円形の溝があり、前胸背面の前縁と側縁に沿って1条溝がある。各上ばねにある7条溝のうち、内方の2条は後方にだけ認められ、はねの後端は切断状で、腹部背面の尾部2節は露出する。糞(ふん)や腐敗した動物質に集まる。

　エンマムシ科Histeridaeの甲虫はおよそ3500種が知られ、日本からも七十数種が記録されている。体が頑丈で、上ばねの後縁が切断状になり、尾部の2節を露出し、触角が膝(ひざ)状に屈曲し先端が丸くて太いことが特徴。多くの種は体が円盤形であるが、卵形、長方形、円筒形などのものもあり、体色は普通黒いが、赤褐色のもの、金属色を帯びるものも少なくない。枯れ木の皮下にすみ、ほかの昆虫を捕食するヒラタエンマムシなどは長方形で平たい。大部分は糞や動物の死体に集まりウジなどを捕食し、一部はキノコや腐敗・発酵した植物質にみられる。アリの巣にすむものもある。

［中根猛彦］

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