Click Beetles

Family Elateridae

Large-eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus). Photo:Stephanie Boucher

Their common name comes from the clicking sound that is made by a mechanism on the thorax of adults. These beetles use this mechanism to thorw themselves into the air and right themselves when they are on their backs. Click beetles are commonly found under stones, on flowers and vegetation. The larvae are very destructive; they feed on newly planted seeds and the roots of beans, cotton, potatoes, corn and cereals. The larvae of some species are predaceous. Click beetles are usually black or brown but sometimes brightly coloured. They are easy recognized by their characteristic shape; the body is elongated, usually parallel-sided, with rounded ends. The larvae are often shiny, slender and hard-bodied and are commonly called wireworms.