Describing beetles or other insects that have short elytra not covering the entire abdomen.
From Greek brachys 'short' plus elytron 'wing cover' plus -ous (adjectival suffix). Literally means 'having short wing covers.'
What's wild about brachelytrous beetles is that their short wing covers expose their abdomens, which most insects hide—but these beetles compensate by producing foul-smelling defensive chemicals, making them a surprisingly successful design.
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