deathwatch beetle

• Ein kleiner holzbohrender Käfer (Xestobium rufovillosum), der durch klopfende Geräusche in Holz bekannt ist; historisch galt er als Todesomen. Der Ausdruck wird auch metaphorisch für eine Person oder Erscheinung verwendet, die Unheil oder Katastrophe ankündigt.

A small wood-boring beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum) known for the tapping sound it makes inside wood, which was historically considered an omen of death. The phrase is also used metaphorically to refer to a person or thing that seems to herald doom or disaster.

1. Wood-boring insectC1formal

   A small brown beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum) whose larvae bore into wood, often found in old buildings and furniture.

   Totenkäfer

   • The deathwatch beetle is a common pest in historic timber-framed houses.
   • Infestations of the deathwatch beetle can cause significant structural damage.
   • The tapping sound of the deathwatch beetle is a mating call.