fire beetle

American  

noun

1. any of numerous click beetles of the genus Pyrophorus, of tropical America, having luminous reddish or greenish spots on the body.

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Etymology

Origin of fire beetle

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

In the last 30 years, an estimated 80 percent of the whitebark pines in the park have died by fire, beetle, or fungal infection.

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2018

When the fire beetle larvae hatch the following summer, they can feed on the charred wood.

From Scientific American • Feb. 4, 2015

The nervous system of the fire beetle has a difficult engineering task to extract this tiny signal and use it to trigger migratory behavior.

From Scientific American • Feb. 4, 2015