Giant mushroom beetle - Giant beetle

This insect belongs to the family Echinococidae in the order Coleoptera of the class Insecta. It is found mainly in mountain forests throughout Japan. Its body length is 16 to 36 millimeters. Its body is black and elongated, with a large red spot containing a pair of black spots on the back of its pronotum, and red spots on the shoulders and rear of its upper wings. In summer, it gathers on Polyporaceae mushrooms that grow on dead or fallen trees in the forest, but in spring it can be found under the bark of fallen trees.

The Erotylidae family mainly includes medium to small sized beetles, with approximately 2000 species known worldwide, and about 100 species found in Japan. Most species are oval or oblong in shape with a bulging back, and have black, red or yellow markings, or reddish brown with black markings, sometimes with a metallic sheen. They feed on mushrooms, and their larvae often live under the bark of mushrooms or dead trees that bear mushrooms. Different types of mushroom attract different types of insects, and some species only visit certain types of mushrooms. The Japanese narrow-legged mushroom beetle is often found on dried shiitake mushrooms.

[Takehiko Nakane]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱甲虫目オオキノコムシ科に属する昆虫。日本各地の主として山地の森林に産する。体長16～36ミリメートル。体は黒色で長形、前胸背面には1対の黒点を含む赤色の大きい斑紋(はんもん)があり、上ばねの肩部と後方にも赤色斑紋がある。夏に森林中の枯れ木や倒木に生えたサルノコシカケ類のキノコに集まるが、春には倒木の皮下などにみられる。

　オオキノコムシ科Erotylidaeは主として中形から小形の甲虫を含み、世界におよそ2000種が知られ、日本には約100種が産する。ほとんどの種類は卵形ないし長楕円(ちょうだえん)形で背部が膨らみ、黒色か赤色ないし黄色の斑紋をもつもの、赤褐色に黒色の斑紋をもつものが多く、ときに金属光沢を帯びることがある。キノコを食べ、幼虫もキノコかキノコのつく枯れ木の皮下にすむことが多い。キノコの種類によって集まる虫の種類も異なり、特定のキノコのみにくる種類もある。ニホンホソオオキノコムシは干しシイタケにしばしばみいだされる。

［中根猛彦］

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