mechanism of the ticking of the death-watch beetle is discussed, and it is compared with a clicking sound made by an ill-fitting hard shirt front. In 1988, Linda Pastan wrote a poem entitled "The Deathwatch Beetle". In 1995, Alice Hoffman made reference to the deathwatch beetle in her novel Practical Magic, using it as an omen of death; the main character hears it shortly before her husband dies. References External links Death watch beetle tapping on wood Museumpests.net Death watch beetle factsheet Ptinidae Building defects Household pest insects Woodboring beetles Insects in culture Beetles described in 1774 Taxa named by Charles De Geer