ABOUT
About Toad Bug
The only species of toad bug family found in Japan, about 1cm long, with a broad, flattened body. It has no ocelli and is distinguished by its thick, sickle-shaped front legs. Its Japanese name, Ashibuto-memizumushi, literally means "thick-legged water bug," but despite that name it does not live underwater in ponds; rather, it is a semi-terrestrial ambush predator active at night on sandy beaches (from the shoreline to the coastal forest), preying on pill bugs and woodlice, and overwintering as an adult. It is widely distributed from southern Kyushu through the Nansei Islands to the Ogasawara Islands, and is not endemic to Amami Oshima alone.
SAFETY
Observation Safety Notes
Please enjoy Amami's wildlife through photographs. Some species are protected by law or local ordinance, and capturing or removing them is prohibited. In special protection zones within the national park, collecting any wildlife is prohibited entirely. Please check the notes on this page, and confirm local rules before visiting any site.
