Blue-Striped Nettle Grub (Parasa Lepida) ヒロヘリアオイラガ（広縁青毒棘蛾）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

What do you see in these photos? I thought it was a strange-shaped grasshopper but you know what? It's a moth! A blue-striped nettle grub (Parasa lepida). I found this on the backside of a leaf of a "drunken" Confederate rose tree. It is a native minor pest found in the Indo-Malayan region, including India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia according to Wikipedia and as an introduced pest, it's currently found across Japan now. The adult (this one) is colorful and cute but its larvae have spines that contain venom. 

 

2025/8/14

Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium Japonicum) エンジュ（槐）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Cream yellow flowers scattered on the ground made me look up and find a Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum). 

Japanese pagoda trees are native to China, coming to Japan at the latest in the 8th century, and now can be found across Japan in parks and schools. As you can see in the 4th photo, the Japanese pagoda tree is in the Fabaceae family.

2025/8/16

2025/8/16

Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus) オクラ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I've eaten okra countless times, yet this is my first time seeing the plant in bloom. Its flowers closely resemble Hamabo hibiscuses—which is no surprise, as both are in the Malvaceae family. Native to East Africa, okra was introduced to Japan at the end of the Edo period (1603–1867) and is now a staple in dishes like salads, tempura, miso soup, stews, and sautéed sides.

2025/8/15