滝本 匠 
July 20, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Yuki Yamamoto
Yonaguni – “It’s bigger than my hand!” says one third grader at Yonaguni Choritsu Kubura Elementary School, holding up a hand next to the atlas moth. As part of their science class, the third graders found an atlas moth egg on school grounds among grasses that atlas moths eat, and have been observing the moth ever since.
On June 21, the class returned to the spot where they had found the atlas moth’s cocoon to find an adult moth had emerged. They learned that the moth is female and the species is nocturnal, and were even able to see the adult moth at the spot where they had been observing her.
For some of the children, it was their first time seeing an adult atlas moth. They eagerly shared their knowledge and feelings. “Her wings are 14 centimeters long!” “Her wings are pretty!” “She’s a female so her belly is big!” “I wonder if there are eggs in there?”
Other pupils chimed in. “I’m so happy we got to see the moth we were observing (become an adult).” “She was a big atlas moth! There was only one, but I’m glad we got to see her.” “The moth was bigger than my hand!”
(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)
