also: やまめ
dragonfly nymph; dragonfly naiad
Refers to the aquatic larval stage of dragonflies and damselflies. Common in everyday conversation and nature contexts.
I found a dragonfly nymph in the pond.
Dragonfly nymphs eat small insects underwater.
Katakana spelling is the most common written form for this word.
Hiragana spelling is also used.
Kanji form using 蠆 (scorpion) is rare and mainly found in specialized contexts.
Alternate kanji form using 蟇 (toad) is very rare.
Alternate reading やまめ, usually written in katakana, is less common than やご.
Hiragana for the alternate reading やまめ.
The origin is uncertain. The reading やご may be derived from や (water) and ご (child), but this is not confirmed. The alternate reading やまめ is less common and its derivation is also unclear.