• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2014

Taraka hamada is known as the sole aphidophagous lycaenid butterfly in Korea. The species specifically preys upon Ceratovacuna japonica which lives in bamboo forests. During several years, the species has been received attention from the field of industrial insects in order to commercialize as a pet. However, an ecological character of the species have been unclear in Korea. We carried out a survey for basic ecology and distribution of the two species for 2010 to 2012. As the results, both species only cohabit at Pseudosasa japonica in our investigation. C. japonica is widely distributed from the host plant. Population density of T. hamada is synchronized with the density changes of C. japonica. Their densities are gradually decreased from the point to the investigation and significantly declined in mid-june. The maximum population density of both species shows at the basal part of a leaf. The last-larval instar of T. hamada may seem to be reaching at $4^{th}$ stage. The adults of T. hamada are killed within two minutes when they were exposed to the sun.