planthopper; leafhopper
Refers to small jumping insects of the family Delphacidae (planthoppers) and sometimes leafhoppers. In everyday Japanese, often encountered as a rice pest (ウンカ).
This year there was a massive outbreak of planthoppers, and the rice was damaged.
ウンカはイネの汁を吸う害虫だ。
Planthoppers are pests that suck the sap of rice plants.
Usually written in katakana; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling; also common.
Rare kanji spelling; the reading ふじんし is also possible for this form but is uncommon.
Rare kanji spelling; not commonly used.
The origin of うんか is uncertain. The spellings 浮塵子 and 浮塵児 describe the tiny insect as floating dust.