When adult click beetles are placed or fall onto their backs, they have the ability to flip themselves over, sometimes going several inches into the air. This is done when the beetle arches its body, then suddenly snaps a pointed projection on the bottom of its prothorax into a small groove on the mesothorax. This causes a clicking noise from which they get their name. Click beetles are also known as skipjacks, snapping beetles, or spring beetles, come from the family Elateridae.
The eyed click beetle, is a North American species that reaches a length of 4.5 cm (1 ¾"). The slender larvae of the click beetle are commonly called wireworms, and some species can be pests of farm crops, vegetables, and flowers. Most wireworms live entirely in the soil where they feed on seeds, plant roots, and underground stems. Larvae typically live in the soil for 2 to 6 years.
Mike Dunkerley & David Page
ENT 301; Fall 2000
