Lantern fly

"I caught a lanternfly! You light up my life!" —Wild World

"I caught a lantern fly! But... where do I put the kerosene?" —City Folk

"I caught a lantern fly! Hmm. Must have run out of gas." —New Leaf

Lantern Fly
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Image gallery
Real-world info
Name: Fulgora laternaria Family: Fulgoridae - Lantern Flies
Main appearances
DnM DnM+ AC DnMe+ iQue WW CF NL NH
Other appearances
Film HHD aF PC
Names in other languages  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown

The lantern fly (ビワハゴロモ. Biwahagoromo) is an insect found on trees between the months of June and September, at two different times of the evening, between 4pm to 7pm, then again from 11pm to 8am. It is uncommon, and can be found in the rain aswell as on clear evenings.

Donating to the Museum

As with all insects in the Animal Crossing series, the lantern fly can be donated to the Museum by talking to Blathers, who will give a small talk about it.

In Wild World

Upon donation, Blathers says:

"The lantern fly drinks the sap of the lychee, whose fluids are said to be sweet. ...The question is, who first sampled the lychee, anyhoo? It looks repellant! It took a gourmand braver than I, I assure you!"

In City Folk

Blathers speech is as follows:

"It's said that a diet of sap from the lychee tree makes the bodily fluids of the lantern fly sweet. It's also said the proper way to try them is to break off the tips of the horns and sip them like straws... It's ALSO said that anyone who does those things is officially googly-boogly out of his or her mind."

The lantern fly can be found in the top-most level of the insect section of the museum, perched on the right-most cedar tree, next to the sign.

In New Leaf

The Lantern Fly resting on a tree in the Museum in Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Upon being donated, the cicada can be found in the room of the bug exhibit with the light in, resting on a tree near the light. The exhibit has this to say about the Lantern Fly:

"Lantern flies stay on trees to drink tree sap, which is where you'll most commonly find them. Their heads are shaped like alligators, though this is just an odd coincidence. Their wings have patterns that look like eyes so when they're open they can scare off predators. They don't really cry that much, but they are still related to cicadas to some extent. "

Encyclopedia Information

In City Folk, the Bugs and Fish tab (also known as encyclopedia) says;

"With alligator-like heads and mothlike wings, these are actually cicadas."

Further Information

Fulgora laternaria (also known as Lantern Fly, Alligator Bug, Peanut Bug, etc.) is related to cicadas. It gets the name 'lantern fly' and 'alligator bug' from its oddly shaped and colored head. Its head is shaped like a serpent, or lizard, similar in style to an alligator's head, which is mentioned in the description in the Bugs and Fish tab. The name 'lantern fly' however, comes from the mistaken belief, taken as fact by Carl Linnaeus, that they are luminescent. It protects itself by opening its wings, which reveal fake eyes. Its head may also further protect itself, by scaring off potential predators. In the game, it displays its wings when the player gets close to it.