also: やまめ
noun
dragonfly nymph; dragonfly naiad
Refers to the aquatic larval stage of dragonflies and damselflies. Common in everyday conversation and nature contexts.
池でヤゴを見つけた。
I found a dragonfly nymph in the pond.
ヤゴは水中で小さな虫を食べる。
Dragonfly nymphs eat small insects underwater.
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.
トンボ is the adult dragonfly, while ヤゴ is the aquatic nymph stage.
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.