lanternbug

noun

UK /ˈlæntənbʌɡ/

US /ˈlæntərnbʌɡ/

A lanternbug is a big, colorful bug with a long snout that looks a little like a lantern.

We saw a bright lanternbug resting on a tree trunk in the rainforest.

SYNONYMS

lantern fly fulgorid planthopper snout beetle

RELATED WORDS

insect bug rainforest nymph wings

OTHER MEANINGS

2. Any insect of the family Fulgoridae, known for the lantern-like shape on its head.

Scientists studied the lanternbug's odd head shape for years.

3. A colorful tropical insect often mistaken for a firefly because of its glow-like markings.

The lanternbug's spots shine in the sun, but it does not really glow.

4. A bug that hops and flies among leaves in warm, wet forests.

A lanternbug hopped from leaf to leaf before flying away.