Pinacate beetle
Encyclopedia
The pinacate beetle, also known as the stink beetle, is a species of darkling beetle
in the genus
Eleodes endemic to the Sonoran Desert
and adjacent regions of the U.S. Southwest and Mexico
, usually the species Eleodes obscurus
. The name is also loosely applied to a number of closely related species of Eleodes, of Western Mexico and the Western United States (including but not limited to the Great Basin), many of which are not easily distinguished from each other. The name pinacate is Mexican Spanish
, derived from the Nahuatl
(Aztec) name for the insect, pinacatl, which translates as "black beetle".
The pinacate beetle is noted for its defensive tactic of standing on its head and squirting a noxious spray. This has earned it the additional names of clown bug and stink bug, names also applied to other unrelated insects.
Darkling beetle
Darkling beetles are a family of beetles found worldwide, estimated at more than 20,000 species. Many of the beetles have black elytra, leading to their common name...
in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Eleodes endemic to the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
and adjacent regions of the U.S. Southwest and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, usually the species Eleodes obscurus
Eleodes obscurus
Eleodes obscurus is a species of darkling beetle in the genus eleodes. It ranges from southern British Columbia to northern Mexico and east to Texas, Kansas and Wyoming. The diet of Eleodes obscurus includes dead plant material, animal remains, roots, and seeds....
. The name is also loosely applied to a number of closely related species of Eleodes, of Western Mexico and the Western United States (including but not limited to the Great Basin), many of which are not easily distinguished from each other. The name pinacate is Mexican Spanish
Mexican Spanish
Mexican Spanish is a version of the Spanish language, as spoken in Mexico and in various places of Canada and the United States of America, where there are communities of Mexican origin....
, derived from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
(Aztec) name for the insect, pinacatl, which translates as "black beetle".
The pinacate beetle is noted for its defensive tactic of standing on its head and squirting a noxious spray. This has earned it the additional names of clown bug and stink bug, names also applied to other unrelated insects.
See also
- Pinacate PeaksPinacate PeaksThe Pinacate Peaks are a volcanic group of volcanic peaks and cinder cones located mostly in the Mexican state of Sonora along the international border adjacent to the U.S...
- a volcanic range on the Sonora-Arizona border - Pinacate, CaliforniaPinacate, CaliforniaPinacate, , was a small settlement east of the Pinacate Mining District in Riverside County, California. It was established when the California Southern Railroad line was built between Colton and San Diego in 1882...