noun
Colloquial, often used by children or in casual speech. The standard word is 蟻 (あり).
ありんこが行列を作っているよ。
The ants are forming a line!
公園でアリンコをじっと観察した。
I watched the ants closely at the park.
Standard, neutral word for 'ant'. ありんこ is a colloquial, often childish variant.
Derived from 蟻 (あり, 'ant') with the diminutive suffix んこ, which adds a colloquial or childish tone. The exact origin of んこ is uncertain.