sweet potato weevil
A species of weevil (Cylas formicarius) that is a pest of sweet potatoes. The Japanese name literally means 'ant-mimicking weevil'.
The sweet potato weevil is a pest of sweet potatoes.
This larva is the larva of a sweet potato weevil.
ゾウムシ is the general term for weevils, while アリモドキゾウムシ refers specifically to the sweet potato weevil.
Standard katakana spelling for this insect name.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly used in scientific contexts; the word is usually written in kana.
The name is a compound of 蟻 (あり, ant) + 擬き (もどき, mimic) + 象虫 (ぞうむし, weevil), referring to its ant-like appearance.