passalid
/pəˈsalɪd/ /ˈpasəlɪd/Entomology
adjective
Of or relating to the scarabaeoid family Passalidae of glossy black beetles with somewhat flattened and elongated bodies, found in decaying wood in warm forest regions and noted for the way they tend their young.
noun
A beetle of the family Passalidae.
Origin
Early 20th century. From scientific Latin Passalidae, family name from Passalus, genus name (J. C. Fabricius Entomologia Systematica I. ii. 240; from ancient Greek πάσσαλος (Attic πάτταλος) peg, in allusion to the shape of the insect) + -idae.