きくいむし

き

く

い

む

し

Meanings

1

bark beetle

usually written using kana alone

Specifically refers to beetles of the family Scolytidae that bore into tree bark.

Bark beetles infested the pine tree and it died.

2

gribble; grain borer; wood borer

usually written using kana alone

Broader term for various wood-boring organisms, including marine isopods (gribbles) and insects that damage timber or grain.

シンクイムシ
Refers to stem borers or heartwood borers, often moth larvae, while キクイムシ is more general for wood-boring beetles and crustaceans.
カミキリムシ
Longhorn beetles; their larvae bore into wood, but the adult is distinct. キクイムシ usually refers to smaller bark beetles or borers.

木き食くい虫むし
Standard kanji spelling; the word is usually written in kana, but this form is widely recognized.
木き食くい虫むし
Variant kanji spelling without okurigana.
キクイムシ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling often used in biological contexts.
木蠹虫きくいむし
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 蠹.
蠹きくいむし
rarely-used kanji form
Single-character rare form.

Compound of 木 (ki, 'wood') + 食い (kui, 'eating', from 食う) + 虫 (mushi, 'insect'). Literally 'wood-eating insect'.