Water strider (amenbo)

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Water Strider (amenbo)

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

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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

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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

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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


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Worldwide use


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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

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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.

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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

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six dots -
a shadow racing
under water



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

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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 .


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Related words

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