ailanthus silkmoth; cynthia moth
Refers to the moth species Samia cynthia, whose larvae feed on ailanthus leaves. The name is usually written in katakana as シンジュサン.
The ailanthus silkmoth is a large moth that eats the leaves of the tree of heaven.
I found a cynthia moth cocoon in the park.
Katakana spelling is common for this species name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling using 神 (god), 樹 (tree), 蚕 (silkworm). Rarely used; the katakana form is standard.
Alternate kanji spelling using 樗 (ailanthus) and 蚕 (silkworm). Rarely used.
The Japanese name シンジュサン (神樹蚕) literally means 'god-tree silkworm', referring to the ailanthus tree (神樹) whose leaves the larvae eat. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name is descriptive of its host plant.