pinacate beetle

English

Etymology

From Mexican Spanish pinacate, from the Nahuatl (Aztec) name for the insect, pinacatl, "black beetle".

Noun

pinacate beetle (plural pinacate beetles)

  1. A darkling beetle of the genus Eleodes, endemic to the Sonoran Desert and adjacent regions, and known for its defensive tactic of standing on its head to squirt a noxious spray.

Synonyms

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