螟蛉

Etymology

There was a long-held (but incorrect) belief by the Chinese that moth larvae are carried by wasps (蜾蠃) (which are unable to reproduce themselves) to their hives, kept there and raised as if they are the wasps' own offspring.

This has turned out to be a false impression, as the caterpillars are actually taken by the wasps as food for their larvae, but the metaphor of a moth larva or caterpillar for an adopted child has remained.

Pronunciation

Noun

螟蛉

1. green rice caterpillar (ver-170925); (in general) caterpillar of many Lepidoptera species, such as the corn earworm or the small white butterfly (which destroy rice and other plants)
   • 螟蛉有子，蜾蠃負之。教誨爾子，式穀似之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     螟蛉有子，蜾蠃负之。教诲尔子，式谷似之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, circa 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Mínglíng yǒu zǐ, guǒluǒ fù zhī. Jiàohuì ěr zǐ, shìgǔ sì zhī. [Pinyin]

     The mulberry insect has young ones,
     And the sphex carries them away.
     Teach and train your sons,
     And they will become good as you are.
   • 螟蛉之子殪，而逢蜾蠃。祝之曰：「類我，類我。」久則肖之矣！速哉，七十子之肖仲尼也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     螟蛉之子殪，而逢蜾蠃。祝之曰：“类我，类我。”久则肖之矣！速哉，七十子之肖仲尼也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Yang Xiong, Fa Yan (Exemplary Sayings), 9 CE

     Mínglíng zhī zǐ yì, ér féng guǒluǒ. Zhù zhī yuē: “Lèi wǒ, lèi wǒ.” Jiǔ zé xiào zhī yǐ! Sù zāi, qīshí zǐ zhī xiào Zhòngní yě. [Pinyin]

     The dying moth larva encountered the wasp. The wasp snatched it away saying, “Be like me, be like me.”
     After a while, they were alike. How quickly it is, that the seventy disciples became like Confucius!
2. (literary, figuratively) Short for 螟蛉子 (mínglíngzǐ, “adopted son”).