Unique Ecosystem - Insects
A member of the gossamer-winged butterfly family (Lycaenidae), this small butterfly is found in broadleaf evergreen forests in western Japan. Its front wings are about 15–17 mm long. It prefers humid valleys and ravines with forests containing the Japanese evergreen oak (Quercus acuta). It emerges as a butterfly in mid-July, passes winter as an adult, and becomes active again around May of the following year. It then lays its eggs on the buds of the Japanese evergreen oak.
In the Oki Islands, it is found in Dōgo, which is the northern limit of its distribution in Japan. Compared to other habitats in Japan, its habitat in Dōgo is very small in scale, and is in danger from deforestation.
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Scientific Name
Panchala ganesa loomisi
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Classification
Family Lycaenidae
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Distribution
Chiba Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture, Oki Islands (Dōgo)
