“The season of red berries”

September has arrived, yet the intense summer heat persists. Emerging from the woods where spider webs abounded, I found red berries growing. From autumn to winter, many plants bear red berries, but few have berries that split open to reveal black seeds. As autumn deepens, the leaves of this tree turn crimson and take on a leather-like texture. [September 2025]

Euscaphis japonica

雑木林から出てくると、ゴンズイの実がなっていました。赤い実が裂けて、黒い種が出てきています。ゴンズイの葉は紅葉するとレザーのような質感になります。

“Night concert in the grassland”

The season has arrived when crickets and grasshoppers vie to outdo each other in their performances. In the bustling grassland, a distinctive sound reached my ears. At first, the sound came in sharp, staccato notes, one after another, but it grew faster. Finally, the tempo changed, and the performance concluded with several long notes. [August 2025]

Ducetia japonica

秋の虫たちの鳴く音は、「リリリ」「シャシャシャ」「ジー」など一定のリズムで鳴くものが多いですが、特徴的な鳴き方をする虫もいます。セスジツユムシは、最初「チャ、チャッ」と一音ずつ切れながら鳴き始めますが、「チャチャチャ……」と、だんだん速くなっていき、最後はテンポが変わり、「シャーツ、シャーツ、シャーツ」と長い数音を伸ばして終わります。近しい仲間のツユムシとは、前翅と後翅の長さの比で見分けます。

“Grasshopper on the sand”

On the beach in summer, many flowers of the roundleaf chastetrees fad grown into fruits. Bees were busily flying around the flowers that were still in bloom, sucking nectar. A grasshopper flew out from between them. I searched for where it had landed, but its body was buried in the sand and I couldn’t find it easily. [August 2025]

Oedaleus infernalis

海浜植物の茂みで跳ねたバッタは、クルマバッタモドキ。体は砂浜に似た色をしていますが、砂浜に限らず、背丈の低い草むらなどでも出会います。見た目が似ているヤマトマダラバッタも砂浜に生息しますが、全国的に数が減っており、なかなか出会うことができません。

“End of the rainy season”

Many green dragons (They were “O-Hange.”) were spread out by a pond of the woods. The end of the busiest period for rice farming is called “Hange-syo.” “Hange” is species of the green dragon family, “Karasu-bisyaku (crow dipper).” “syo” means born. In the past, the rainy season ended and the summer heat was in full swing when those plants grew. These days, the beginning of the summer’s heat seems to be earlier. [JULY 2025]

Pinellia tripartita

サトイモ科の植物、カラスビシャクは、漢方名を「半夏」といいます。カラスビシャクが田のそばに生える頃は、「半夏生」と呼ばれ、田んぼの繁忙期が一段落する頃として、農事暦にも用いられました。オオハンゲは、カラスビシャクよりも大きく、とくに三つ葉の大きさが特徴的です。

“Ant-lion’s adult”

The hot summer continues. However, there seems to be less humidity than every year in the woods, perhaps because the rainy season was short. A flattering lacewing flew in front of me. It is difficult to imagine their beautiful appearance as larvae feeding on ants. Every time I meet them, year after year, I enjoy the fact that nature is truly a wondrous and beautiful. [JULY 2025]

Baliga micans

梅雨が明ける頃、雑木林にウスバカゲロウがあらわれます。幼虫は、すり鉢状の巣を砂地につくり、アリなどの昆虫を捕食するアリジゴクです。巣と幼虫は、森の中の雨が当たりづらい砂地で一年中見かけますが、成虫のウスバカゲロウが林内を舞うのは夏だけです。幼虫が巣をつくらずに徘徊する、ホシウスバカゲロウも、知多半島に生息しています。

“Goby on the mudflats”

Gobies are often encountered in the sea and rivers. There are many species of gobies, some of which live in freshwater, others in the sea. Many also prefer brackish water. I cannot identify them immediately. On this day, gobies with black spots lined up and gobies with black fins were swimming on the mudflats. [JUNE 2025]

Favonigobius gymnauchen

ハゼの仲間は、海水、汽水、淡水、それぞれの環境に棲む種がいます。干潟で見かけたのはヒメハゼ。目の前に黒い斑があり、体にも４～５の黒い斑が並びます。

“Light purple little stars”

There were little flowers in the grass in the park along the muddy canal. They are called “Hinagikyou(means small balloon-flower)” because their flowers resemble Japanese ballon-flower(means Kikyou). The little flowers, shaped like stars and swaying in the sea breeze, made me feel that summer had arrived. [JUNE 2025]

Wahlenbergia marginata

夏がやって来ると、草むらで細い茎を揺らしている、ヒナギキョウ。１センチほどの小さな花を咲かせます。その色はうす紫色ですが、よく見ると趣深い色合いで、色名で言うなら「紅碧」が近そうです。

“Crab moving forward”

I went to the mouth of the river that runs near the industrial road. The sea had receded and turned into mudflat. Walked on mudflats with stones and puddles. There were many round-bodied crabs. On closer inspection, those crabs were walking forward. They didn’t notice me and hide under stones like other crabs, but moved around looking for food. [2025 JUNE]

Pyrhila pisum 

マメコブシガニは、潮間帯に生息するカニの一種です。その特徴は、甲羅が丸く盛り上がっており、また、歩脚の関節が自由に動くので、前に歩きます。貝などを食べる肉食性です。

“Grasshopper with buzzing sounds”

It is now early summer and firefly season. Some time after sunset, I went to the rice fields and saw more 20 fireflies flying around. A very intense grasshopper noise was heard, along with a chorus of many frogs. The species that appear in autumn are often encountered. It was pleasing to find that the species that appear in early summer have not yet been lost. [JUNE 2025]

Xestophrys javanicus

ヘイケボタルがあらわれる田んぼのそばで、耳に痛いほどの激しさで鳴いていたのは、シブイロカヤキリ。カヤキリが秋に鳴くのに対し、シブイロカヤキリは、晩秋に羽化してすぐ越冬し、春から初夏にかけて鳴きます。

“Caterpillars on privet tree”

In spring, one of the trees that flowers in the woods is the privets. There are “border privets” and “Japanese wax-leaf privets” in this woods. The wax from these trees was used to make candles. Were they also used in the region? On this day, the larvae of the moth that feed on privet leaves were found on the branches. Its adults have eye-patterned wings and its English name is “owl moth”.  [May 2025]

Brahmaea japonica

イボタノキは、春に雑木林で白い花を咲かせます。木から取れる蝋は、ロウソクの原料などに用いられたそうです。イボタノキやネズミモチを食草とするイボタガは、独特な翅の模様をもつ大型の蛾で、春を告げる蛾とも呼ばれます。英語では、オウル・モスと言います。