'aphidivorous' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'aphidivorus', where 'aphid-' comes from Greek 'aphis' meaning 'aphid' and '-vorus' comes from Latin 'vorare' meaning 'to devour'.

'aphidivorous' was formed in modern scientific/technical English from New Latin 'aphidivorus' (itself built from Greek 'aphis' and Latin 'vorare') and entered English as the adjective combining 'aphid-' + the suffix '-vorous'.

Initially it meant 'feeding on aphids' in technical or biological contexts, and this core meaning has remained essentially unchanged in modern usage.