What is "toktokkies"

n. (plural of toktokkie English)

Toktokkies are a variety of species of beetles that belong to the large Tenebrionidae family, also known as Darkling beetle. Toktokkies do not belong to a particular tribe or genus of Tenebrionids, but rather a selection of flightless species with distinct tapping noises. The Tenebrionidae family to which these beetles belong is quite large, with almost 3,500 species inhabiting Southern Africa. Nearly 200 species of Toktokkies inhabit the country of Namibia and 20 have adapted to the extreme temperatures of the Namib Desert. The most common Toktokkies in the Namib Desert are the Fog Basking beetle ( Onymacris unguicularis) and the button beetle or trench-digging beetle (Lepidochora discoidalis).