“Stag beetle”

In summer, insects gather on trees that produce sap. Looking into the oak cave, a stag beetle was hiding. When I brought the twig closer to its face, it pinched it its big chin. Maybe because the sun was still bright, it didn’t move much other than that.  [JULY 2021]

Dorcus rectus

夏の雑木林。クヌギの洞にコクワガタが隠れていました。この時期、樹液を出す木には甲虫やチョウなど多くの生きものが集まります。

“Small bouncing life”

There are many holes on the beach. Many lives are active inside. When I dug up a small hole, something like a flea popped out from inside. Little sea slater. The body was still transparent.  It was jumping around, swimming in the water and hiding in the shade of rocks.  [JULY 2021]

Ligia exotica

堤防や岩場などでよく見かける、フナムシ。砂浜にあいた小さな穴を掘ると中からとてもちいさなフナムシが跳び出しました。身体はまだ透明です。

“Kudzu flower”

Kudzu is a flower that has been counted as one of the seven autumn herbs since ancient times. Purple flowers bloom among the overgrown vines and leaves. In the autumn, you can hear a lot of crickets’ songs from the place covered by the Kudzu.  [JULY 2021]

Pueraria montana var. lobata

秋の七草にも数えられる、クズ。様々な場所で木や草をおおうように繁茂している様子を目にします。秋になるとその周辺では、虫の音がよく聞こえます。

“Crab on the rocky shore”

On the summer coast. The tide is low and rocky areas are appearing. A crab with a body that looks like a rock passes quickly. This kind of crab has a variety of shell pattern. As soon as the crab notices my existence, it hides behind the rock.  [JULY 2021]

Gaetice depressus

からだの模様がさまざまある、ヒライソガニ。磯に住むちいさなカニです。干潮時に潮だまりをのぞくと出会います。こちらに気づくと、すぐに岩陰に隠れてしまいます。

“Emergence of cicadas”

The last heavy rain of the summer season is over. The arrival of summer. Cicadas begin to sing in the city and in the woods. A small cicada was drying its wings at the tip of a dead branch. They emerge in lower place than other cicadas. So even children can catch them. [JULY 2021]

Platypleura kaempferi

ニイニイゼミは、小さなセミ。脱け殻も小さく、泥にまみれているものが多いです。木の下の方など低い場所で羽化し、成虫になってもわりと低い位置にいることが多いセミです。

“Pallas’ sailer”

At the entrance to the woods, a butterfly crossed in front of me. It was Pallas’ sailer. The black wings with white line patterns are characteristic. They glide from leaf to leaf. The flapping is slow, so the pattern can be seen well. It is one of the butterflies that you often meet from summer to autumn.  [JULY 2021]

Neptis sappho

黒い翅に白い線模様が特徴的な、コミスジ。近似種にミスジチョウ、ホシミスジなどがいます。あまり羽ばたかずに、滑空しながら移動します。

“Yellow flower in the wetland”

Summer wetland. The season when the sundew was conspicuous had passed, many small yellow flowers called “Mimikaki-gusa” were in bloom. Mimikaki means an earpick. This carnivorous plant is declining in population as the wetlands decrease.  [JULY 2021]

Utricularia bifida

ミミカキグサは、プランクトンなどを捕食する食虫植物。おもに湿地に生育し、夏場、ちいさな黄色い花で辺りを彩ります。湿地の減少とともに、数を減らしています。

“small gobies”

The beach was at low tide. I walked along the rocky shore, paying attention to my feet. I crouched down and looked into the tide pool. It was many small gobies that move quickly. When the tide rises, they will return to the sea again.  [JULY 2021]

干潮時、磯を歩くと、潮だまりができています。足元に気を付けて覗き込むと、小さなハゼの仲間が泳いでいました。潮が満ちてくるとふたたび海に戻ります。

“Giant lily”

As I was walking through the woods, large lilies were blooming along the road. This large white lily was a familiar plant to people. People ate the big bulbs. I still see traces of harvesting bulbs. In this woods, many of these white lilies still bloom among the lush grass in the summer.  [JULY 2021]

Cardiocrinum cordatum

ウバユリはユリ科ウバユリ属の植物。大きな茎を伸ばし、白い花を咲かせます。鱗茎はゆり根として食用とされました。

“Tiger lily”

You can see tiger lilies here and there along the sea in summer. They are orange lilies with dark and fine dots. They increase in propagules. And unknowingly, they extend their habitat to roadside, beaches and cliff.  [JULY 2021]

Lilium lancifolium

七月なかば。半島南部の海沿いを通過すると、あちらこちらでオニユリが咲いています。茎につくのはたくさんのムカゴ。いつのまにか道端や堤防沿いの浜、崖などに増えます。