noun
- Plural of clerid; small to medium-sized beetles of the family Cleridae, often brightly colored and predatory, commonly found on wood or flowers.
Usage: entomology; technical
Examples
- Clerids are beneficial insects that feed on wood-boring beetle larvae.
- The bright red and black clerids were spotted crawling across the tree bark.
- Entomologists study clerids because they help control pest populations in forests.
- Many clerids are attracted to flowers where they hunt for smaller insects.