jewel beetle

plural jewel beetles

1. Any of the very many beetles of the family Buprestidae, known for their glossy, iridescent colours.

   The ceiling and the chandelier of the main hall were covered with the wing cases of thousands of Asian jewel beetles.

   2009, Terry Smith, What Is Contemporary Art?, page 172

   2 more examples

   This effect can be produced not only by purposeful ringbarking with an axe but also by insects, such as longicorns and jewel beetles, feeding in the phloem-cambium under the bark.

   1996, Phillip W. Hadlington, Judith A. Johnston, Australian Trees: Their Care and Repair, page 5

   The black jewel beetle (Melanophila acuminata) was found to be attracted by forest fires, because burnt wood is the only suitable substrate for bringing up its offspring. The antennae of the black jewel beetle were proved to be highly sensitive and selective to guaiacol derivatives, compounds which are generated by the pyrolysis of wood (Schütz et al. 1999a).

   2007, Prodpran Thakeow, Gerrit Holighaus, Stefan Schütz, “11: Volatile Organic Compounds for Wood Assessment”, in Ursula Kües, editor, Wood Production, Wood Technology, and Biotechnological Impacts, page 216