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親虫 (おやむし) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

親おや虫むし

Meanings

1

noun

imago; adult insect

Biological term for the final, fully developed stage of an insect after metamorphosis. Used in entomology and nature contexts.

この親おや虫むしは羽う化かしたばかりで、まだ羽はねが柔やわらかい。
This adult insect has just emerged and its wings are still soft.
幼よう虫ちゅうから親おや虫むしになるまで約やく二に週しゅう間かんかかる。
It takes about two weeks from larva to adult insect.

Kanji

親parent, intimacy, relative
虫insect, bug, temper

Similar words

成せい虫ちゅう
成虫 is the standard general term for 'adult insect'. 親虫 is less common and may carry a nuance of 'parent' insect, especially in contexts of breeding or rearing.
幼よう虫ちゅう
幼虫 means 'larva', the immature stage before becoming an adult insect.

Etymology

Compound of 親 (oya, 'parent') and 虫 (mushi, 'insect'). The exact derivation is uncertain; it may have originated in sericulture or insect breeding to refer to the parent generation.