Narrative

Click Beetles of the New World (Family Elateridae) are an unusual group of beetles. If they accidentally land upside down, they cannot turn themselves over with their legs. However, by making a sudden click with the muscles between the thorax and abdomen, they propel themselves up into the air in order to land again. If they land upside down again, this clicking process is repeated.

The small mandibles, thin legs, and elongated shape help identify members of this family. Several species in this family are exotic with unusual colors and unusual patterns. Larvae, known as wire worms, can be very destructive to crops. The larvae live in the soil, and search out seeds and plant roots.

Click Beetles of the New World are generally small or medium sized beetles with the exception of the genus Alaus. This genus, Eyed Elators, is also unusual in that members have light circles with dark pupils on their thorax. No doubt the eyes appear to birds and other predators as some form of mimicry of various other animals perhaps including snakes.

Click Beetles of the Old World are generally small or medium sized beetles of dull colors. However, the widespread genus Alaus contains some species with unusual eyespots. The oriental genus Camposternus contains some species with brilliantly reflective green or greenish red colors. Some Elateridae can become quite large. An example, is a Philippine species (Oxynopterus audoini) that can be over to 6.5 cm in length. An even larger species, Tetralobus flabellicornis of Africa, can be up to seven centimeters.

Taxonomy

References