ヒトスジシマカ

ヒ

ト

ス

ジ

シ

マ

カ

Meanings

noun

Asian tiger mosquito

usually written using kana alone

Scientific name Aedes albopictus. A common mosquito species in Japan, known for its striped legs and aggressive daytime biting.

ヒトスジシマカはデング熱ねつを媒ばい介かいすることがある。
The Asian tiger mosquito can transmit dengue fever.
庭にわにヒトスジシマカが多おおくて困こまっている。
I'm troubled by the many Asian tiger mosquitoes in my garden.

Kanji

蚊mosquito
一one, one radical (no.1)
筋muscle, sinew, tendon
縞stripe
条article, clause, counter for articles, clauses, paragraphs, etc.

Related words

アカイエカ
アカイエカ (Culex pipiens pallens) is another common mosquito in Japan, but it is brownish and more active at night, while ヒトスジシマカ is black with white stripes and bites during the day.

Written forms

ヒトスジシマ蚊か
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; the reading ヒトスジシマか is restricted to this form.
一ひと筋すじ縞しま蚊か
Full kanji spelling; rarely used. The reading ひとすじしまか is restricted to this and the 一条縞蚊 form.
一ひと条すじ縞しま蚊か
Alternate full kanji spelling; rarely used.
ひとすじしまか
ヒトスジシマか

Etymology

The name literally means 'one-stripe-striped mosquito', from 一筋 (ひとすじ, one line) + 縞 (しま, stripe) + 蚊 (か, mosquito), referring to the single white stripe on its back.