Saturniidae of Japan

Actias artemis (male) from Leroy Simon

Here is a list of Saturniidae that fly in Japan with their scientific as well as Japanese names. The map at the bottom of the page will help with placement of subspecies named for their respective locales.

Clicking on a hypertext scientific name will take you to a file with pictures and/or information.

Actias artemis A. art. aliena A. art. yakushimaensis Actias gnoma gnoma A. gn. manchurica A. gn. miyatai Aglia jap. japonica Ag. jap. microtau Antheraea y. yamamai Anth. y. ussuriensis Anth. y. yoshimotoi Antheraea pernyi Attacus atlas ryukyuensis Caligula jonasi japonica Caligula j. ryukyuensis Caligula jonasii jonasii Caligula jonasi fallax Loepa sakaei Rhodinia f. fugax Rhodinia f. diana Rho. jankowski hattoriae Rho. jankowski hokkaidoensis Samia cynthia pryeri Samia cynthia ricini Samia cynthia walkeri

Ohmizuao Ohmizuao honnshuu ashu; (ashu=subspecies) Ohmizuao yakushima ashu Onaga mizuao Onaga Izu- shotoh ashu Ezoyotsume Ezoyotsume Honshu-inann ashu Yamamayu Yamamayu Hokkaido ashu Yamamayu Okinawa ashu Sakusan Yonagunisan Kususan Kususan Okinawa ashu Himeyamamayu Himeyamamayu Hokkaido ashu Haguruma Yamamayu Usutabi-ga(ga=moth) Usutabi-ga Hokkaido ashu Kurousutabi-ga Kurousutabi-ga Hokkaido ashu Shinnjyusan Erisan Shinjyusan Hokkaido ashu

The Japanese names have been supplied to me by Makiko.

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Yaku Shima, a southern island near Kogoshima, Kyushu, home to Actias artemis yakushimaensis is a mountainous island of about 500 sq km in the south of Japan. Its great range in altitude has given rise to a variety of vegetation types. The three main ones are warm temperate forest from 0 - 800 m, cool temperate forest from 800 - 1,600 m, and sub-alpine grassland above 1600 m.

The Ryukyu islands, also known as the South-West islands are located in the south-west of the archipelago. Okinawa is the largest and most famous of the Ryukyu islands. These islands host Antheraea yamamai yoshimotoi, Attacus atlas ryukyuensis and Caligula jonasi ryukyuensis.

The northerly region of Hakkaido hosts Caligula jonasi fallax, Rhodinia fugax diana, Rhodinia jankowski hokkaidoensis and Samia cynthia walkeri.

Actias gnoma miyatai is found in Hachijo Jima, Aoga Shima (Izu islands, south of Tokyo).

Antheraea yamamai ussuriensis flies in Hokkaido (Northern Japan), and in Ussuriysk (Far East,Russia).

The following notes are from the Nara Campus of Kinki University, halfway up the Yata Hills with coppice, in Nara prefecture in central Japan.

Antheraea yamamai yamamai (Guerin-Meneville), Adult emergence: August-September (0ne generation), Larva emergence: April-July, Food plants: Quercus serrate, Q. acutissima, Q. glauca, Lithocarpus edulis, Castanopsis cupidata, Myrica rubra.

Saturnia jonasii jonasii Butler, Adult emergency: October (One generation), Larva emergency: April-July, Food plants: Prunus yedoensis, Viburnum dilatetum, Ilex rotunda.

Saturnia japonica japonica (Moore), Adult emergence: September-October (One generation).

Rhodinia fugax fugax (Butler), Adult emergence: November (One generation), Larva emergence: April-July, Food plants: Quercus serrate, Q. acutissima, Q. variabilis, Zelkova serrate, Castenea crenate, Celtis sinensis, Prunus yedoensis, P. jamasakura.

Samia cynthia pryeri (Butler), Adult emergence: May-June and August (Two generations), Larva emergence: June-July and September-October, Food plant: Ilex rotunda, Paulownia tomentosa, Zantoxylum ailanthoides.

Actias artemis aliena Butler, Adult emergence: April-May and July-August (Two generations), Larva emergence: May-June and August-September, Food plants: Alnus japonica, A. sieboldiana.

Actias gnoma gnoma (Butler), Adult emergence: April-May and July-August (Two generations), Larva emergence: May-June and August-September, Food plants: Alnus japonica. The natural enemies of these moths were parasitic wasps, spiders and wild birds such as crows. As per http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200416/000020041604A0545294.php; SHIROMOTO KEIKO (Kinki Univ., Faculty of Agriculture, JPN) SAKURATANI YASUYUKI (Kinki Univ., Faculty of Agriculture, JPN, 2004)

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