black beetle en · NOUN
Meanings
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see black, beetle.
- A black scarab beetle, later specifically the African black beetle (Heteronychus arator), a serious pest of grasses in New Zealand.
-
(UK) The oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis), a large roach from the family Blattidae.
‘I'm not afwaid of anything except black-beetles,’ said the Pussum […].
1921, DH Lawrence, Women in Love, Vintage, published 2008, page 65:
- (New-Zealand) A similar roach native to New Zealand, of species Maoriblatta novaeseelandiae (syn. Platyzosteria novaeseelandia); the Māori bug.
- Any of various other species of beetle that are black in color, including: ▸ An Asiatic rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros), a pest of palm trees in tropical Asia.
- Any of various other species of beetle that are black in color, including: ▸ A member of the European species Pterostichus nigrita (syn. Feronia nigrita).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| black-beetle | alternative | lexicographic | |
| black beetles | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| blackbeetle | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
African black beetle · Darwin's black beetle
Relateds
oriental beetle · Blitopertha orientalis
Synonyms
oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) · Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) · oriental roach (Blatta orientalis) · Māori bug (Maoriblatta novaeseelandiae) · waterbug (Blatta orientalis)
Translations (5)
de Küchenschabe (oriental cockroach) · ja ゴキブリ (oriental cockroach) · mi kekerengu (Māori bug) · ru чёрный тарака́н (oriental cockroach) · ro libarcă (oriental cockroach)