There are very few summer flowers compared to spring. Albizia japonica, which is a valuable source of honey for butterflies, can be found here and there at the foot of the Northern Alps in Nagano Prefecture.

Especially in Otari Village, the number of butterflies that gather in the silk tree is much larger than in other cities, towns and villages at the foot of the Northern Alps.

It was in 2018 that I saw a lot of Alpine black swallowtails and other animals on the silk tree and took pictures.

The other day, I asked Mr. Aizawa of the Mizuhokan in the middle soil to take a picture of the Alpine black swallowtail that comes to the pink flowers.

Mr. Aizawa had already closed the Mizuhokan due to his aging population. According to his story, he said, "Last year there were few flowers, so there were few butterflies, but this year there are many flowers, so I'm here." He talked with a smile.

As you said, several dark butterflies were flying around the silk tree.

Ah, is it a Chinese peacock butterfly?

Mr. Aizawa also planted Spiraea thunbergii under the silk tree, so when I visited, Neptis pryeri also came to suck honey.

The Alpine black swallowtail is a large black butterfly, but the blue and green lines appear to extend to the hind wings, which is very beautiful.

I think that it looks like a black butterfly when viewed from a distance, but since it is such a butterfly, I wanted to take a picture again in combination with a pink flower, so I asked. The flowers and butterflies were fresh and lucky.

When I visited, it seemed that it was time to cut the yellowfin tuna, and the bark inside the yellow tree was piled up on the unicycle, and when I touched it, it was soft like a sponge and felt like it contained a lot of water. was. It seems that it will be shipped after it has been dried, and I was about to spread it in the garden and dry it.

In fact, that Kihada is the food tree of the Miyama crow swallowtail in Otari village.

Originally, it seems that there are yellowfin tuna in the mountains in Otari village, but it seems that they have planted yellowfin tuna in various parts of the village to sell bark to pharmaceutical companies.

That's why Alpine black swallowtails occur everywhere in the village. It was just around the time of the flowering of Albizia japonica.

The former Mizuhokan is located at the entrance of the Myoko Togakushi Mountains National Park, and you will pass in front of it when you go to Mt. Amakazari or Kamaike.

I heard that Albizia japonica was planted because his wife wanted it, but the tree has grown so much that he looks up at it. I think I wanted the customers to see it.

In fact, Albizia japonica can be found in the nearby community center, in the garden, and at the Otari Village Hall. If you drive anywhere else in the village, you can see it in the garden of a private house. I think it is crowded with large butterflies during this time.

You can see silk trees in Hakuba village next door, and there are silk trees that seem to grow naturally in the riverbanks of Ikeda-cho and Matsukawa-mura. In Omachi City, Albizia japonica is used for roadside trees along national roads near Omachi General Hospital. However, it is unlikely that you will see many butterflies in Albizia japonica other than Otari Village.

Apparently, butterflies such as the Alpine black swallowtail gather in the silk tree, which seems to be a summer tradition only in Otari village.

There is no image, but is the Papilio machaon also a Chinese windmill? There were some butterflies that I thought. Albizia is used by various butterflies in summer, isn't it?

As an aside, I heard from a local person that I sometimes see several Alpine black swallowtails in places where water is flowing at the construction site. Probably water supply in a group. I want to see it.

If you have a chance, please visit Otari Village.