My name is Kishikoro and I live in Yonaguni.
Do you know Yonagunisan?
I remember chasing and searching for Yonaguni sunfish in Animal Crossing.
They have a huge presence even in Animal Crossing, and I'll write about my experience of seeing one in Yonaguni.
On the fourth day after arriving in Yonaguni, I encountered the Yonaguni sunfish.
The first time I saw it was on the fourth day after I arrived in Yonaguni.
I saw one flying in the sky near Yonaguni Airport, and at first I thought it was a pigeon lol
It's different from how we imagine butterflies fly; their bodies look incredibly heavy when they fly.
Introducing the size of the Yonaguni San
I wasn't able to take a video of them flying, so I'll show you a video of them presumably laying eggs.
If cockroaches were big, then the rhinoceros beetle theory https://t.co/DivmZxMkSx pic.twitter.com/WX11OoQ0U4
— Kishikoro (@kagoshimato) April 10, 2022
You can see how big this moth is by comparing it to a beer can or your hand.
I don't like moths, but when they're this big they even look kind of cool.
The staff at the Ayamihabiru Museum, which will be introduced later, took some photos of a flying Yonaguni sunbird, so please take a look.
I got a call from someone at the airport.
This is a male Yonaguni sunfish that flew away energetically the moment we tried to protect it.I quickly took a video, can you see it?
I think this was my first successful photo of a flying bird.# Yonaguni Island# Yonagunisan# Fly pic.twitter.com/XDH3BvCbxN— Yonakama Club (@YonakamaClub) June 25, 2020
The season when you can see the Yonaguni San
They seem to appear most often from April to September. I saw them from April to August.
This moth is surprisingly rare, and many people have never seen one even after living there for six months.
Although it is a moth, it is actually a butterfly, but it does not fly around flowers, but instead rests on trees.
Is Yonagunisan the model for Mothra?
There is a theory that Yonagunisan was the model for Mothra.
It doesn't seem to have been made public, but I think we look quite similar haha
It is written in kanji as Yonaguni-san, which is said to be related to the fact that it was first discovered on Yonaguni Island.
In the Yonaguni dialect, it is called "Ayamihabiru".Ayamihabiru Museum
There is also a memorial museum where you can see specimens of the Yonaguni San and learn about its ecology, so be sure to check it out.
The life span of the Yonaguni San is about 7 days.
Unfortunately, the Yonaguni moth dies of starvation within a maximum of 10 days after becoming an adult.
Their mouths have degenerated so they can't suck nectar. They will starve to death in as little as four days.
They emerge as adults, mate, lay eggs, and then die. It's so fleeting.
summary
The only three islands in Japan where you can see the Yonaguni sunfish are Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, and Yonaguni Island.
It is a natural monument of Okinawa Prefecture and catching it is prohibited. Please do not try to catch it as if it were Animal Crossing.
The Okinawa Prefecture Red Data Book lists it as endangered, in the same category as the coconut crab found on Yonaguni Island.
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