also: てんさん
Japanese oak silkmoth
A species of wild silkmoth native to Japan; its scientific name is Antheraea yamamai. Often referred to by its katakana name.
The Japanese oak silkmoth is a native Japanese species that spins green cocoons.
Usually written in katakana as a species name; usually written in kana.
Alternate kanji spelling with reading てんさん; literally 'heavenly silkworm', but rare.
Kanji spelling using 山 (mountain) and 繭 (cocoon); rarely used.
The Japanese name ヤママユ (yamamayu) literally means 'mountain cocoon', referring to its habitat and the silk it produces. The alternate reading てんさん (tensan) comes from the kanji 天蚕, meaning 'heavenly silkworm', reflecting the high quality of its silk.