The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word COCKROACH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
O
C
K
R
O
A
C
H
More clues leading to the result COCKROACH
- Some prick with the end of a joint, not welcome in the kitchen
- Pest serving fish after bird
- Spooner’s music teacher? He’s six feet under!
- Bird, fish and insect
- Mr Salmon gets fish for six-footer
- Bird, fish, and so-called beetle
- Pest played rock in train
- Male fish or insect
- Me ol’ mate, somewhat near insect
- Teacher introduces enigmatic rock for six-footer
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "insect" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case insect = cockroach.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COCKROACH mean?
COCKROACH noun- A black or brown straight-winged insect of the order Blattodea.
- A person or a member of a group of people regarded as undesirable and rapidly procreating.
- (Rwanda) A Tutsi.