Bess bug
Bess bug is an American common name for beetles of the family Passalidae — large, shiny black beetles found in decaying wood, also known as patent leather beetles or horned passalus.
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Bess bug is an American common name for beetles of the family Passalidae — large, shiny black beetles found in decaying wood, also known as patent leather beetles or horned passalus. They are notable for making squeaking sounds and for their somewhat social behaviour, unusual among beetles. The name 'Bess' is of uncertain origin but may be a folk name. They are a familiar sight in rotting logs in the southeastern US and are sometimes kept by entomology enthusiasts.
The kids found a Bess bug under the log pile and spent an afternoon watching it squeak when prodded.
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(US) Any of various beetles of the family .
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- Bess beetle76%
(US) Any member of the family of beetles.
- dorbug55%
A North American common name for the dor beetle or a dung beetle — a large, dark beetle that produces a droning sound in flight. The 'dor' element relates to the humming sound the beetle makes. Used in older naturalist and rural American contexts; not in common contemporary use.
- buggish54%
Characteristic of or resembling a bug; buglike.
- beetle-sticker54%
Dated British slang for an entomologist — specifically someone who collects and pins insects, which was a common gentlemanly hobby in the Victorian era. The phrase is affectionately mocking, treating the scientific pursuit as fussy or eccentric. It has a Victorian amateur naturalist flavour.