Ceylon blue glassy tigers hibernate together on January 11 in Amami City, Kagoshima Prefecture. (©Kyodo)
In a forest along the coast of Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, a group of Ceylon blue glassy tigers was spotted hibernating together. The butterflies, called Ryukyu Asagi Madara in Japanese, have a distinctive blue pattern on their wings.
When the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), these migratory butterflies tend to cluster together on tree branches.
This natural phenomenon usually continues until early March, and observing the butterflies is a popular seasonal tradition among nature enthusiasts and tourists.
"We used to be able to see several thousands of these butterflies in the past," says Kenichiro Tomikawa, an expert on insect ecology from Amami City in Kagoshima Prefecture. "But in recent years, their numbers have been declining."
RELATED:
- Save the Butterflies: Japanese NPO Joins European Monitors to Count Colorful Insects and Preserve Biodiversity
- The Snow Fairy of Hokkaido is Winter's Sweetest Gift
- The Disappearing Japanese Hare in the Year of the Rabbit
- [Hidden Wonders of Japan] Pygmy Woodpeckers in Roppongi Show the Future of Urban Biodiversity
(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
