Japanese Name (Katakana) : アカボシゴマダラ
Pronunciation: Akaboshi-gomadara
Recognize this butterfly? It's the one featured on our home page, resting on the bark of Quercus serrata (Jolcham Oak) in May 2019.
Size: Wingspan of 40～53mm
Special ID Features: Red dots at the bottom of both hindwings.
Native Range: Vietnam, China, and Korean Peninsula.
Associated Species: Hestina assimilis caterpillars feed on the leaves of Celtis sinensis (エノキ), the Japanese Hackberry tree. Other native butterfly species that also use this tree in their larval stages (Hestina japonica,,Sasakia charonda charonda, or,Libythea celtis celtoides) may also be affected or be in competition with Hestina assimilis.
Other information about this species: First sighted in Kanagawa in 1997, this species is considered invasive. Some subspecies of Hestina assimilis are native to the islands of southern Japan, including Amami-oshima Island in Kagoshima prefecture. However, researchers believe that the presence of this species in Kanto is not due to the northern expansion of this butterfly's range, but rather the result of artificial introduction from China.
It can be seen throughout Kanto, including Tokyo, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba, Gunma, and Kanagawa prefectures.
References:
日本の昆虫1400 (1) チョウ・バッタ・セミ (ポケット図鑑), 2013.
Authors: 高井 幹夫, 奥山 清市, 長島 聖大, 井村 仁平, 槐 真史, 伊丹市昆虫館
Invasive Species of Japan
Invasive Species Research Team, Environmental Risk Research Center, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan
Link (English and Japanese): https://www.nies.go.jp/biodiversity/invasive/DB/detail/60400e.html