ショウジョウバエ

しょ

う

じょ

う

ば

え

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

fruit fly; vinegar fly; pomace fly; banana fly

usually written using kana alone

Refers to any insect of the family Drosophilidae, commonly used in genetic research. The name literally means 'orangutan fly'.

Written forms

ショウジョウバエ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this insect name; usually written in kana.
猩しょう々じょう蠅ばえ
Kanji form using 猩々 (orangutan) and 蠅 (fly); rarely used in modern writing.
猩しょう猩じょう蠅ばえ
Variant kanji form without iteration mark.
猩しょう々じょう蝿ばえ
Variant using 蝿 (extended shinjitai) for fly.
猩しょう猩じょう蝿ばえ
Variant kanji form without iteration mark, using 蝿.

Kanji

猩orangutan, dark red
蠅fly
蝿fly

Similar words

実み蠅ばえ
実蠅 (みばえ) is a broader term for fruit flies, especially those infesting fruit; ショウジョウバエ specifically refers to the Drosophilidae family.

Etymology

The name 猩々蠅 (しょうじょうばえ) literally means 'orangutan fly', possibly from the reddish color of some species' eyes resembling an orangutan's face. The exact origin is uncertain.