1.
bell cricket (Meloimorpha japonica)
A black cricket native to Japan, famous for the clear, bell-like sound the males produce in late summer and early autumn. Sometimes kept as a pet for its song.
鈴虫が鳴いている。
Bell crickets are chirping.
鈴虫の声を聞くと秋を感じる。
Hearing the sound of bell crickets makes me feel that autumn has come.
祖父は毎年鈴虫を飼って、涼しげな声を楽しんでいる。
My grandfather keeps bell crickets every year and enjoys their cool-sounding song.
Compound of 鈴 (bell) + 虫 (insect), named for the bell-like ringing sound the males make by rubbing their wings together. Their song is a classic seasonal marker of late summer and early autumn in Japan.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 鈴虫の声: the song of bell crickets
- 鈴虫が鳴く: bell crickets chirp
- 鈴虫を飼う: to keep bell crickets as pets
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
The sound of bell crickets is deeply associated with autumn in Japanese poetry and culture. The verb 鳴く (to cry/sing/chirp) is the standard word for the sound — never use 歌う.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 松虫: pine cricket — another singing insect of autumn, often paired with 鈴虫
- コオロギ: cricket — broader term covering many species including this one