pinacate beetle

English

Etymology

From Mexican Spanish pinacate, from Classical Nahuatl 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

• pinacate bug
• stinkbug