''Chrysochroa fulgidissima'', "jewel beetle" or Yamato tamamushi in Japanese (ヤマトタマムシ) is a metallic woodboring beetle of the family

Buprestidae Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some ...

Characteristics

This beetle is native to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and Korea. It is typically found in woods or forests during summer under the strong sunshine and can grow between in length. The Tamamushi Shrine, an Asuka Period miniature shrine located at

Hōryū-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is , or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as both a seminary and monastery. The temple was ...

, Nara prefecture, was decorated with lacquer and oil painting on wood, gilt bronze plaques, and with beetlewing work using the iridescent wings of the ''Chrysochroa fulgidissima'' beetle.

Tamamushi-iro

Since this insect has iridescent wings that glow lengthwise with different colors depending upon the light angle, one cannot be sure exactly which color it is. Therefore, it gave rise to the expression ''tamamushi-iro'' (tamamushi color), in reference to a convoluted statement that can be interpreted in more ways than one. The term ''tamamushi-iro'' is used in the context of Japanese officialdom, when politicians or bureaucrats use language that is ambiguous.Japanese business language By Mitsubishi Corporation
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Notes

References

* * * Beetles of Asia Insects of Japan Buprestidae Woodboring beetles Beetles described in 1817 {{Buprestidae-stub ja:タマムシ#ヤマトタマムシ

Characteristics

Tamamushi-iro

See also

Notes

References