# pinacate beetle

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A darkling beetle of the genus Eleodes, endemic to the Sonoran Desert and adjacent regions, and known for its defensive tactic of standing on its head to squirt a noxious spray.

## Etymology
From Mexican Spanish pinacate, from Classical Nahuatl pinacatl (“black beetle”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pinacate-beetle