As the school year hits the halfway mark in Japan and you’re looking for fun activities to entertain your little ones, why not consider bug-catching? Before you wince too much at the thought of seeking out, catching and potentially housing insects this summer, know that interest in insects and bug catching for children has a long history in Japan stretching back centuries. Still not convinced? Think about how capturing insects is at the root of one of the largest popular culture franchises in history: Pokemon.
Like many Japanese youth, Pokemon’s creator, Tajiri Satoshi, grew up catching bugs. As a game developer, Tajiri took the childhood joys of researching, strategizing and capturing insects and crafted the game that millions of us enjoy today. So, whether this is your first foray into your local greenery or you’re a seasoned bug hunter, read on to learn about four popular insects to add to your collection this summer.
Sawtooth Stag Beetles
Nokogiri kuwagata or sawtooth stag beetles are among some of the most sought-after insects during bug-catching season. While stag beetles come in hundreds of varieties, the sawtooth type has distinctive antler-like jaws that jut out from its reddish-dark brown body. Found throughout Japan, these beetles are valuable catches to add to your collection. Although males can measure over 70 millimeters long, they can also be less than half that length. Females tend to be much smaller at 20-40 millimeters with shorter jaws.
Catching Tips:
When trying to hunt them down, check out wooded and mountainous areas. They are known to like kunugi (sawtooth oak) and konara (pin oak) trees, whose sap they enjoy drinking. Sawtooth stag beetles are nocturnal, meaning (unfortunately!) they are most active at night and early morning. Although bug catching in wooded areas at night is not recommended for little ones due to potential dangers, a proven way is to shine a bright light into tree hollows and roots to attract their attention. But, since they are also attracted to sources of light, you can always check vending machines and light posts in the wee hours to catch a glimpse of one.
Cicadas
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4 Comments
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factchecker
They should be left alone. Humans have already done enough damage to our planet.
indigo
cherish the Bugs
wallace
Children love to collect insects and grow them too. All my trees have Cicadas waking me up early with their racket. Stag Beetles sell for good money.
There are still about 200 million insects for every person but many are endangered including bees.
餓死鬼
I've never seen stag and rhinoceros beetles in the wild (at least not alive). Would like to try and spot them in their habitats, since they're nocturnal like me. Don't need to catch bugs as kindergarteners are always happy to show off the beetles and mantises they've managed to collect. My usual interaction with bugs is righting flipped beetles and (sometimes) cicadas (these guys self-own themselves like this a lot and end up toasted), though cicadas that are still vital can right themselves by going ballistic.
The only bugs I catch are cockroaches and mosquitoes that decide to visit my abode, and by "catch" I mean pound into jam.