Junebug

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A nocturnal insect from the scarab family, famed for its glossy skin and summer activity, often drawn to bright lights and prevalent in gardens and fields during warmer months
2. A type of beetle belonging to the scarab family, recognized for its shiny exterior and attraction to light, commonly found in gardens and fields during the summer months
3. This nocturnal beetle from the scarabidae family is noted for its lustrous appearance and tendency to swarm around lights, usually active in warmer seasons in grassy areas

Etymology: "June bug" is the common name for several large, shiny scarab beetles of the genus Phyllophaga and related species, which swarm around lights and trees in early summer across North America. The name is a plain compound: "June" for the month in which the beetles emerge in large numbers, and "bug," a general English word for an insect. The spelling "junebug," written as one word, is an alternative form of the same term, so the two spellings name exactly the same creature. The word is about as literal as English names get. Early summer is when the adults appear, often in such numbers that they bump against windows and screens at night, and the month simply gave the insect its label. The "bug" half is the older, looser sense of the word, applied to any small creeping or flying creature rather than only to true bugs in the strict zoological sense.