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longicorn beetle

longicorn beetle

9.9
A beetle with a long body and very long antennae that often makes holes in wood
  • noun
  • /ˈlɔŋɪˌkɔrn ˈbiːtəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : escarabajo longicornio
  • The longicorn beetle is known for its strikingly long antennae and slender body.

Examples

  • The chrysanthemum longicorn beetle is a pest of chrysanthemums, as the name suggests, and a single female can kill as many as seventy plants by laying her eggs in the stems.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Researchers studied the behavior of the longicorn beetle to understand its mating rituals and habitat preferences.

  • Many gardeners find the longicorn beetle to be a nuisance due to its tendency to infest wooden plants.

Synonyms

beetle
vslongicorn beetle
95 1.0

A small insect with hard front wings that cover its back and a mouth for chewing

is narrower, focusing on elongated body and very long antennae
long-horned beetle
vslongicorn beetle
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A beetle with very long antennae often longer than its body

is the same concept expressed by another name
longicorn
vslongicorn beetle
  • Specialized
9.9

A beetle with a long body and very long antennae often longer than its body

is the defined member with the same traits and formal family label

Surface Forms

Morphology

longicorn + beetle

The meaning is directly compositional: 'longicorn' (long‑horned, i.e. having long antennae) combined with 'beetle' yields a beetle with long antennae. This is a straightforward descriptive compound common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Longicorn beetle comes from old words that mean 'long' and 'horn', so the name points to the beetle's very long antennae that look like horns. That's why the name is used for beetles with very long antennae today.