BEE′TLE

(bē′tl). Syn. Scar′ab†* , Scar′abee†* (-bē); Scärabæ′us , L.; Escarbot , Scarabeé , Fr.; Käfer , Ger.; Betel , Sax. In zoology , the common name of an extensive genus of insects ( scarabæ′us , Linn.), of numerous species. It is also popularly applied to all coleopterous insects, or such as have hard or shelly wing-cases, especially to those of a dark or obscure colour. The common pests of our kitchens and basement floors which pa familiarly under the name of beetles, black beetles, or cockroaches, belong to the order orthoptera, and not to the coleoptera or beetle tribe, as the name implies. See Insects , .