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Glite Dictionary
clerid beetle

clerid beetle

8.9
A brightly coloured, often shiny beetle that eats other insects
  • noun
  • /ˈklɛrɪd ˈbiːtəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : escarabajo clerido
  • The metallic blue sheen of the clerid beetle made it easy to spot among the leaves.

Examples

  • Scientists released a colony of clerid beetles to control the pest population in the forest.

  • A clerid beetle can help control pest populations.

  • A clerid beetle quickly hunted down the smaller insect on the tree bark.

  • The clerid beetles are known for their bright colors.

  • In the garden, a clerid beetle can often be seen preying on aphids, which helps keep their numbers low.

  • The vibrant colors of the clerid beetle attract attention as it moves gracefully along the stem of a plant.

  • Many farmers introduce clerid beetles into their fields because these insects provide natural pest control.

Synonyms

clerid
vsclerid beetle
  • Specialized
9.9

A small beetle that eats other insects and often has bright, shiny colours

is the fuller phrase naming the same insect more explicitly

Surface Forms

clerid beetle singular
clerid beetles plural

Morphology

clerid + beetle

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'clerid' names a particular group of beetles and 'beetle' is the head noun, so 'clerid beetle' denotes a beetle of the Cleridae family. This modifier+head pattern is a standard, predictable way to form species or type names, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would understand the meaning.

Etymology

Clerid beetle comes from the family name Cleridae, which in turn comes from an older name Clerus. These beetles are often bright and fast and hunt other insects on tree bark, so the name brings to mind a small, shiny beetle that 'eats pests'.