11/02/2006

Water strider (amenbo)

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO  TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Water Strider (amenbo)

***** Location: Japan, other areas
***** Season: All Summer
***** Category: Animal


*****************************
Explanation

"The Water Horse" of Japan



Water strider, water boatman, amenbo アメンボ、水馬
(amenboo), amenboo mushi 水馬虫
..... mizu sumashi 水馬 みずすまし
family Gerridae

water spider, mizugumo 水蜘蛛
river spider, kawagumo 川蜘蛛
high legs, ashi taka あしたか


sea water strider, umi amembo 海水馬

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Not to mix this up with the following

whirligig beetles, mizusumashi 水澄 みずすまし
..... maimai 鼓虫 まいまい
family Gyrinidae

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Common Water Strider (Gerris remigis)
Copyright, Charles Lewallen

The Common Water Strider is water bug that looks a lot like a big mosquito walking on the surface of the water.
Its body can grow just over 1/2 inch long and is dark brown or black. Like all insects, it has six legs. The front pair of legs is short, and the middle and back legs are very long.

Water striders live on the surface of ponds, slow streams, marshes, and other quiet waters.

Common Water Striders eat living and dead insects on the surface of the water. Some are aquatic (water) insects, such as mosquito larvae coming up from the bottom, and others are terrestrial (land) insects, such as butterflies or beetles that accidentally land on the surface.

Injured dragonflies are a favorite food, as are worms that fall in the water. Water striders have a sharp mouthpart, called a rostrum, to suck up body juices from prey.

Look at some great photos here:
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/common_water_strider.htm


*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way


For your desert, so to speak, a sweet cake of this name:


http://www.kaho-fukuoka.co.jp/saijiki/2005-06/amenbo.html

*****************************
HAIKU


刀禰川や只一ッの水馬
tone-gawa ya tatta hitotsu no mizusumashi

Tone River--
only one solitary
water strider


Issa (Tr. David Lanoue)=

More about translating this haiku.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

hamon kazoete amenbo no kazu to naru

On the water
counting the widening rings
the number of water beetles


...

mizusumashi roboto mekishi shosa no ari

Whirligig beetle
the movements
like a robot

Takashi Ikari
http://www.worldhaikureview.org/3-2/whcjapan_ikari.shtml

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


six dots -
a shadow racing
under water




© Gabi Greve, Happy Haiku, 2006
CLICK for more photos !

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


浮世絵の風の素通りあめんぼう
ukiyo-e no kaze no sudoori amenboo

the wind of ukiyo-e
just blows without a trace -
water strider


Kobayashi Masaru 小林まさる


. Ukiyo-e 浮世絵  prints .


*****************************
Related words

*****

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for reminding us of these wonderful creatures (water striders and whirligigs), Gabi.

I have wanted to write haiku on them, but the time has not been right. I need to take a trip back up to the mountains soon. :-)

Regards from Australia,
C.E.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Isabelle said...

Gabi san -- your photo says it so beautifully! Thank you for your ever inspiring kigo pages...


sunlight --
the water strider’s shadow
ripples too

Isabelle Prondzynski

Gabi Greve - facebook said...

まひまひや 反時計まわり 時計まわり

Whirligig's dance,
counter-clockwise,
and clockwise

Naotaka Uematsu

Gabi Greve said...

刀禰川や只一ッの水馬
tone-gawa ya tatta hitotsu no mizusumashi

Tone River--
only one solitary
water strider


Kobayashi Issa
Tr. David Lanoue

https://edoflourishing.blogspot.jp/2018/01/tonegawa-river.html
.