Click beetles

Overview

Elateridae is a family of beetles commonly known as "click beetles" due to their ability to right themselves when they are overturned by flexing their body and producing an audible clicking sound. The family Elateridae is one of the largest families of beetles, with more than 10,000 described species worldwide.

Click beetles are found in a wide range of habitats, from forests and grasslands to deserts and wetlands. They are primarily herbivorous, feeding on plant material such as leaves and stems, although some species are predators, feeding on other insects.

One notable behavior of click beetles is their ability to right themselves when overturned. When a click beetle is placed on its back, it uses a specialized mechanism to flex its body and produce a clicking sound, which propels it into the air and allows it to land upright on its feet. This behavior is thought to be a defense mechanism against predators.

Description

Click beetles vary greatly in size, ranging from less than ⅜″ (1 cm) to over 1½″ (4 cm) in length. The body is long and somewhat flattened.

They are usually brown or black, sometimes metallic, sometimes with pale or colorful markings. Some are brightly colored with patterns of red, yellow, or green. The front of the body (head and prothorax) and the back of the body (mesothorax, metathorax, and abdomen) are loosely connected and can be moved independently. On the underside, an elongated lobe on the prosternum fits into a groove in the mesosternum, allowing the insect to produce an audible click. The hind angles of the thoracic plate (pronotum) are sharp and backward pointing. The antennae have eleven segments and are attached close to the eyes. They are usually sawtoothed, sometimes comb-like.