Click beetles

Definition

A cosmopolitan family of beetles (Elateridae) characterized by a unique thoracic clicking mechanism in which a spine on the prosternum snaps into a notch on the mesosternum, producing an audible click that can propel the beetle into the air. The approximately 9,300 described species occupy diverse habitats and life-history strategies; larvae (wireworms) are often soil-dwelling and can be agricultural pests, while adults are frequently found on vegetation or under bark.

Etymology

Common name refers to the audible clicking sound produced by the prosternal-mesosternal mechanism; family name Elateridae from Greek elater (driver, that which drives away), referring to the jumping action.

Example

The eyed elater (Alaus oculatus), a large North American click beetle, uses its prominent eye spots to startle predators while retaining the family's characteristic clicking escape response.

Synonyms

• elaters
• snapping beetles
• spring beetles
• skipjacks
• Elateridae

Related Terms

• wireworms
• Prosternum
• mesosternum
• Elateroidea
• Coleoptera
• Thanatosis

Usage Notes

The common name refers specifically to family Elateridae, though a few members of related families (Cerophytidae, Eucnemidae, Plastoceridae) possess similar clicking mechanisms. The clicking sound itself is distinct from the stridulation produced by many other beetles. Larvae are typically called wireworms regardless of family, creating some ambiguity with related elateroid families.