ブユ

also: ぶよ · ぶと

ぶ

ゆ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

black fly; gnat

usually written using kana alone

Refers to small biting flies of the family Simuliidae. Often encountered near streams. The word is usually written in kana.

蚊かN3
蚊 has a slender body and long legs, while ブヨ (a black fly/gnat) is smaller and stouter but also bites and causes itching, so the two are easily confused as biting insects.

ブユUsage18%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for this insect name; usually written in kana.
ブヨUsage39%
ぶよUsage14%
Alternate reading and spelling variant.
ぶとUsage9%
Less common reading; may be dialectal or older.
ブトUsage9%
蚋Usage7%
- ぶゆ
  Kanji form; rarely used in practice.
- ぶと
- ぶよ
ぶゆUsage2%
Hiragana spelling, also common.
蟆子Usage2%
- ぶゆ
  Obscure kanji form; not commonly encountered.
- ぶと
- ぶよ
蟆ぶと
Single-character kanji form; very rare.

The origin is uncertain. The word is native Japanese, and the kanji 蚋 is a Chinese character for a similar insect.