aphid; plant louse
Common name for small sap-sucking insects; often seen in contexts of gardening or agriculture. Cross-referenced with アブラムシ, which is a more common synonym.
See also: アブラムシ
The new rose shoots were covered in aphids.
Aphids are small insects that suck plant sap.
アブラムシ is a more common and general term for aphids. アリマキ is a synonym, but may be less frequently used in everyday conversation.
Katakana spelling is the most common written form for this word; usually written in kana.
Rare kanji spelling; the characters mean 'ant' and 'scroll/roll', possibly from the way ants tend aphids.
Rare kanji spelling using characters for 'aphid' and 'insect'.
The word is a compound of 蟻 (ari, 'ant') and 巻き (maki, 'winding' or 'rolling'), possibly from the way ants tend aphids for their honeydew. The exact derivation is uncertain.