noun
jewel beetle; buprestid
Refers to beetles of the family Buprestidae, especially the species Chrysochroa fulgidissima, known for their iridescent, metallic colors. Commonly used in everyday contexts to describe the insect or its shimmering appearance.
庭でタマムシを見つけた。
I found a jewel beetle in the garden.
タマムシの羽は光の角度で色が変わる。
The wings of the jewel beetle change color depending on the angle of light.
The name タマムシ (玉虫) literally means 'jewel insect', from 玉 (tama, 'jewel, ball') and 虫 (mushi, 'insect'), referring to its gem-like iridescent wings. The alternate kanji 吉丁虫 is a phonetic borrowing from Chinese, but the exact historical derivation is uncertain.