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July 10, 2014

A new cicada keychain toy from Japan

Filed under: Japan | Toys and Amusements — Dan @ 4:43 am

There is a new cicada keychain toy from Japan. It comes in five colors, and produces its sound using a wind up mechanism. Buy it here.

March 25, 2014

Some cicada books from Japan

Filed under: Books | Japan — Dan @ 4:04 am

Every now and then I treat myself to a cicada book from Japan. Cicadas are called semi in Japan, which seems to be spelled セミ or 蝉. Enter セミ or 蝉 into the Amazon.co.jp search box and you’ll find a bunch of cicada books (amongst other things).

I’ve already written about Dr. M. Haysashi and Dr. Yasumasa Saisho‘s fantastic The Cicadidae of Japan book. Here are some others:

セミ観察記 (写真絵本 ぼくの庭にきた虫たち):

This book features huge photos of cicadas through all phases of their lives. It also features diagrams of their lifecycle and underground tunnels.

A Cicada Book from Japan
セミ・カメムシの仲間 (海野和男のワクワク虫図鑑):

Only the first eleven pages of this book are about cicadas, but they are excellent, featuring large photos of common cicadas. The book features two pages that match nymph exoskeletons to adult cicadas.

And Another Cicada Book from Japan

セミの一生 (科学のアルバム):

This book also features many large photos of cicadas throughout their life cycle. The photos of eggs and first instar nymphs are particularly nice.

Another Cicada Book from Japan

Note that these books are not written in English.

January 1, 2014

Websites about the cicadas of Japan

Filed under: Japan — Dan @ 11:04 am
  1. Cicadae in Japan An excellent resource, including a list of Japanese cicadas, dozens of photos and audio files. AUDIO PHOTOS
  2. Cicada stamps and sculptures from Japan and elsewhere (asahi-net.or.jp) PHOTOS
  3. Japanese insect pictures (mus-nh.city.osaka.jp) Many cicada photos! PHOTOS

September 11, 2011

Fukushima radiation possibly impacting cicadas in Japan

Filed under: Japan — Dan @ 11:11 am

Update: @Zi_kade on twitter (he’s a cicada expert in Japan) said that these deformities were caused by wind. Good news.

Radiation from the Fukushima reactor is possibly impacting cicadas in Japan. I say possibly, because I don’t know for sure, but the following articles infer that radiation is playing a part in cicada deformities and complications during eclosing (when they shed their nymph skins and become adults). Looks like about 20% of cicadas are affected in the study mentioned in the articles. It will be interesting to see how this story plays out. If the affected cicadas were in areas that flooded during the tsunami, it could be their bodies were damaged by water soaking the ground or flooding their tunnels.

Breaking News: Radiation has started attacking DNA.

Photos of possibly affected cicadas:

奇形ゼミ続出、放射性物質は原発から300km地点にまで大量降下した.

奇形ゼミ続出、放射性物質は原発から300km地点にまで大量降下した.

Use Google Translate http://translate.google.com/ if you can’t read Japanese.

April 5, 2011

The Cicadidae of Japan. Cicada book of the year?

Filed under: Books | Japan — Dan @ 4:37 am

It’s too early to say, but The Cicadidae of Japan might end up being the cicada book of the year. The book was authored by Dr. M. Haysashi and Dr. Yasumasa Saisho (of the incredible Cicadidae of Japan website), and it includes photos and a CD of cicada song.

The book is currently available from Amazon.co.jp.

Information from Dr. Yasumasa Saisho:

Hello. I inform you that “The Cicadidae of Japan” by Dr. M.Hayashi and
myself is published. This book consists of taxonomic exposition, ecological
information, distribution, acoustic attribute of calling songs,
morphological features of Japanese cicadidae with many photos and CD
(including all songs of Japanese species, about 70min).

———-
M. Hayashi and Y. Saisho (2011). The Cicadidae of Japan,
224 pp., Seibundo-shinkosha, Tokyo.
ISBN978-4-416-81114-6
4,600yen

M. Hayashi and Y. Saisho (2011). The Cicadidae of Japan

January 11, 2011

Cicadas from Japan

Filed under: Auritibicen | Graptopsaltria | Japan | Lyristes | Osamu Hikino | Platypleura | Tanna — Tags: , — Dan @ 9:07 pm

I re-scanned some old (10+ years old) photos from Osamu Hikino.

Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata:

Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata

Platypleura kaempferi (Fabricius, 1794):

Platypleura kaempferi (Fabricius, 1794)

Amazing camouflage!

A male Tanna japonensis:

A male Tanna japonensis

A male Auritibicen japonicus:

Male Auritibicen japonicus (formerly Tibicen japonicus, Lyristes japonicus)

A male Auritibicen japonicus:

Male Auritibicen japonicus (formerly Tibicen japonicus, Lyristes japonicus)

September 13, 2008

Semi-Ningen

Filed under: Japan | Toys and Amusements — Dan @ 6:10 pm

Meet Semi-Ningen, star of the Japanese monster movie Ultra Q Episode 16 “The Revenge of Garamon”. He’s part Cicada, part human, and all scary.

Shake on it?, originally uploaded by RedYoda.

Semi Ningen (Cicada-Human) is dispatched to earth, disguised as a human man, by his evil alien Cicada brethren and tasked with controlling (2) Garamon to create all kinds of general havoc in Tokyo.

Semi-Ningen

August 23, 2008

Semi

Filed under: Japan — Dan @ 9:22 am


semi, originally uploaded by murakami.kenta.

I don’t know what species this is, but the photo was take in Japan.

Semi means cicada in Japanese.

August 7, 2007

Who can identify this cicada from Japan?

Filed under: Japan | Oncotympana — Dan @ 4:38 am

Turns out to be a Oncotympana Maculaticollis.

Oncotympana Maculaticollis

May 26, 2007

Assorted Cicada Stuff

Filed under: Japan — Dan @ 8:45 am

A quick break in the Brood XIII action:

A website about Japanese cicadas (Semi). It’s interesting to see all the different varieties of cicadas that exist around the world.

Many, many photos of Japanese cicadas thanks to Google photo search.

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