noun
pupa; chrysalis
Refers to the stage in an insect's life cycle between larva and adult.
蝶の蛹虫は美しい緑色をしている。
The butterfly's chrysalis is a beautiful green color.
この蛹虫からどんな成虫が出てくるのだろう。
I wonder what kind of adult insect will emerge from this pupa.
Compound of 蛹 (pupa) and 虫 (insect). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.