Top 3 Insects I Want to See in My Garden Right Now

My apologies to those who don't like insects.

3rd Place!

Ebony Jewelwing

The nearby rice fields were filled in during the spring, so the waterfront area has decreased.
I feel like the number and variety of dragonflies have decreased as well.

Dragonflies all have their own cute qualities, but the one I want to see in my garden is the Ebony Jewelwing.

Apparently, they live in the forest while they are young dragonflies. Because of that, they used to be in my garden often at the beginning of summer, but I haven't seen them for the past few years.

As summer progresses, they move to the nearby irrigation canal, but the only one I saw this year was one lying on the narrow path next to the canal.

How sad.

For the time being, I picked it up and was thinking about what to do, when it seemed to regain consciousness from the sound of a sparrow flapping its wings overhead, and it hurriedly started to move around unsteadily.
I had no choice but to take it to a nearby grassy area, but it probably would have been eaten eventually anyway.

How sad.

So, I want to meet an Ebony Jewelwing that is flying around energetically.
The way they flap their wings is so cute.

2nd Place!!

Hornet

Any kind of hornet is fine, but the bigger they are, the more excited I get.

For some reason, they are disliked by humans, and there is a trend of exterminating them as soon as they are spotted, which is very sad.
Even though they are so cool, they are treated as pests.
(You shouldn't discriminate against insects based on their appearance)

Carnivorous creatures like bees and spiders have very complex thoughts despite their small size. Compared to caterpillars that graze on grass, they possess considerable intelligence.
So, when I watch them, their solitary behavior is just too cute.

The most common bee is the paper wasp, and since they love ivy flowers, they fly around a lot. But their numbers have also plummeted.
The nearby fields were filled in and the human population increased, so they were likely driven from their homes and ended up being exterminated.

It's sad.

They are cute too, but they are no match for the hornet family.

Last year, orange hornets started coming to the garden.
They would busily gather the cat food left on the ground (please don't question this, just let it slide!).
However, the cats would eat it all up first.

When it was mealtime, they would compete with the cats for the meat. They would say,

"Those guys again! Those guys just keep eating it all!"

So they said, and they made troublesome requests, wanting to eat before it was served or wanting some specially distributed to them.

Cute.

Too cute.

If I tried to open the window for any reason other than the canned food, they would protest while half-crying. Apparently, it's tough because they have to bring food back home.

Even without human encroachment, the climate has changed, and it seems the insects are struggling to live.
The timing of their emergence and the types have changed, and it seems they are having a hard time finding food as well.

Number 1!!!

Ailanthus Silkmoth

The "san" is not an honorific.
It is the Ailanthus Silkmoth (Shinju-san).

It is a wonderfully large moth, and some individuals have wings as large as my palm.
The size and coolness of the adult are incredible, but more than anything, what is beautiful is this larva.
It has a beautiful color, as if the forest had turned into a crystal. (To a normal person, it is a giant caterpillar at a level that would make them go crazy.)

I have lived with a certain degree of knowledge about the ecology of living things.
I know that there are beautiful types of rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles. But the most beautiful insect in my history is the larva of the Ailanthus Silkmoth.

That size!

That color!

That sparkle!

(And it looks delicious)

Each one of them is like a dream.

It had been several years since they first appeared in my garden, and I had been watching over them and taking photos with a grin, but once their population increased, they were discovered by the lady next door who hates insects.

Do you know them?
They are rare creatures.
They are, so to speak, natural silkworms.

And they are very vulnerable to insecticides.

They are extinct.

The Ailanthus silkmoths in Pachiko's garden have perished.

I feel more anger than sadness.

But to someone who dislikes insects, they are caterpillars that would drive them crazy... so I have no choice but to pray that they will return by chance again.
That said, they might not be able to live here now that the climate has changed.

Conclusion

How was it?

Among those who dislike insects, there seem to be some who say that all insects should go extinct, but I would like to inform you that if insects go extinct, humans will also go extinct.

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