fire beetle

noun

A luminous click beetle, Pyrophorus noctilucus

Similar
headlight elaterfireflyPyrophorus noctiluca
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Meanings

nounfire beetle (plural fire beetles)

plural fire beetles

  1. A luminous click beetle, Pyrophorus noctilucus

    Synonyms: headlight elater

  2. Any insect in the genus Melanophila

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA luminous click beetle, Pyrophorus noctilucus

Similar
headlight elater

More synonyms by meaning

nountropical American click beetle having bright luminous spots

Similar
fireflyPyrophorus noctiluca
Broader
elaterid beetleelaterelaterid
Also see
cucujofirefly

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

* (Pyrophorus noctilucus): Because of its fiery glowing appearance. * (Melanophila): Because they seek out fire in order to mate and lay eggs in freshly burned wood.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Italian piroforo
  • piroforoPyrophorus noctilucus
Cite this entry
APA

fire beetle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20beetle

MLA

“fire beetle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20beetle. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fire beetle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20beetle.

Source: fire beetle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.