deathwatch beetle

• Petit coléoptère xylophage (Xestobium rufovillosum) connu pour le bruit de tic-tac qu'il émet à l'intérieur du bois, historiquement considéré comme un présage de mort. L'expression est aussi employée métaphoriquement pour désigner une personne ou un phénomène annonçant une perte ou une catastrophe.

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.

   Horloge de la mort

   • 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.