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

See Examples For:

fire beetle

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