A metallic wood-boring beetle belonging to the family Buprestidae, characterized by a hard, shiny body and destructive larvae that tunnel through wood.
From New Latin Buprestidae, derived from Greek 'bouprestis' (a dangerous beetle), from 'bous' (ox) and 'prestis' (to break wind), referring to a beetle believed to cause cattle disease through explosive intestinal disturbance.
The name 'buprestis' reveals ancient Greek veterinary anxiety—these beetles were so mysterious that people invented absurd explanations for cattle illness, imagining explosive beetles. Today, jewel beetles (the common name) are jewel-toned pests that can cause millions in timber damage worldwide, especially as climate change extends their range.
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