deathwatch beetle

• Pequeno besouro broca (Xestobium rufovillosum) conhecido pelo som de tamborilar que produz dentro da madeira; historicamente era considerado um presságio de morte. A expressão também é usada metaforicamente para uma pessoa ou coisa que anuncia ruína ou catástrofe.

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.

   caruncho-do-relógio-da-morte

   • 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.