Elateridae
Guides
Margaiostus
Margaiostus is a genus of click beetles (Elateridae) established in 1978. It was long considered restricted to the New World, with species known from North and South America. The genus was first recorded in the Palaearctic region in 2015 with the description of M. sundukovi from the Russian Far East, significantly expanding its known geographic range. The genus belongs to the diverse click beetle family, whose members are characterized by their ability to right themselves using a prosternal process that clicks against the mesosternum.
Margaiostus glacialis
Glacial Click Beetle
Margaiostus glacialis, commonly known as the Glacial Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The species epithet 'glacialis' suggests an association with cold or glacial environments. It belongs to the genus Margaiostus, which is part of the tribe Pomachiliini within the subfamily Dendrometrinae. The species has been documented in northwestern North America, including Alaska, Alberta, and British Columbia.
Megapenthes
Megapenthes is a genus of click beetles (family Elateridae) established by Kiesenwetter in 1858. The genus comprises at least 30 described species distributed across the Holarctic region. These beetles are characterized by the ability to produce an audible clicking sound through a prosternal process that snaps against a mesosternal groove, a defensive mechanism that can right the beetle when overturned.
Megapenthes angularis
Megapenthes angularis is a species of click beetle (family Elateridae) described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1866. Like other members of the genus Megapenthes, this species possesses the characteristic clicking mechanism that allows these beetles to right themselves when overturned. The genus Megapenthes is part of the diverse Elateridae family, which contains approximately 10,000 described species worldwide. Specific biological details for M. angularis remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Megapenthes dolosus
Megapenthes dolosus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Megapenthes is part of the diverse elaterid fauna of North America. Based on the limited available information, this species appears to be rarely encountered, with only 9 observations recorded on iNaturalist as of the source date. The specific epithet 'dolosus' (Latin for 'deceitful' or 'crafty') may allude to characteristics of the species or its type locality, though the etymology has not been formally documented in accessible literature.
Megapenthes elegans
Megapenthes elegans is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Megapenthes comprises click beetles characterized by their ability to right themselves using a prosternal process that snaps against a mesosternal groove. As a member of this genus, M. elegans possesses the family's namesake clicking mechanism. The species has been documented through limited observations, with 16 records on iNaturalist.
Megapenthes insignis
Megapenthes insignis is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, first described by LeConte in 1884. The genus Megapenthes comprises click beetles with distinctive morphological features, though specific details about this species remain poorly documented in accessible literature. Like other elaterids, adults possess the characteristic prosternal process that enables the 'clicking' mechanism for righting themselves when overturned. The species is part of a genus distributed across North America, with larvae typically developing in decaying wood or soil.
Megapenthes longicornis
Megapenthes longicornis is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Megapenthes belongs to a diverse family of beetles characterized by their ability to perform a clicking/jumping mechanism using a prosternal spine and mesosternal groove. Very little specific information is documented about this particular species.
Megapenthes megalops
Megapenthes megalops is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, tribe Megapenthini. The genus Megapenthes is characterized by enlarged eyes, a trait reflected in the species epithet 'megalops' (large-eyed). Members of this genus are typically associated with forested habitats and are active as adults during warmer months. The larvae develop in decaying wood and are predatory on other saproxylic invertebrates.
Megapenthes nigriventris
Megapenthes nigriventris is a species of click beetle (Elateridae) described by LeConte in 1884. It belongs to the genus Megapenthes, a group characterized by bioluminescent larvae commonly known as glow-worms. The species is known from western North America, with confirmed records from British Columbia, Canada. As with other members of its genus, the larvae are likely predatory and bioluminescent, though specific details for this species remain poorly documented.
Megapenthes rufilabris
Megapenthes rufilabris is a click beetle species in the family Elateridae. It belongs to a genus of click beetles characterized by their ability to right themselves using a prosternal process that snaps against a mesosternal groove. The species epithet 'rufilabris' refers to reddish mouthparts or labrum. Like other elaterids, the larvae are likely soil-dwelling and may feed on plant material or other organic matter.
Megapenthes solitarius
Megapenthes solitarius is a click beetle (family Elateridae) described by Fall in 1934. The species is known from limited records in Canada, with confirmed observations in Alberta, New Brunswick, and Quebec. Available data suggest it is rarely encountered, with only three observations documented on iNaturalist.
Megapenthes tartareus
Megapenthes tartareus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1859 from the basionym Elater tartareus. The species belongs to the genus Megapenthes, a group characterized by their ability to produce light through bioluminescence in some species. Records indicate it occurs in western North America, specifically British Columbia, Canada. As with many Megapenthes species, detailed biological information remains limited in published literature.
Megapenthes turbulentus
Megapenthes turbulentus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Megapenthes is characterized by large body size relative to other elaterids and distinctive antennal morphology. This species is documented from a limited number of observations, with most records originating from western North America.
Melanactes
Melanactes is a genus of click beetles (family Elateridae) comprising approximately six described species. These beetles are found in North America. The genus was established by J.L. LeConte in 1853 and is classified within the subfamily Dendrometrinae and tribe Oxynopterini. Species in this genus include Melanactes piceus, Melanactes morio, and Melanactes consors, among others.
Melanactes consors
Melanactes consors is a species of click beetle (family Elateridae) in the genus Melanactes. The genus Melanactes belongs to the click beetle family, characterized by the distinctive clicking mechanism these beetles use to right themselves when flipped onto their backs. Very little specific information has been published about this particular species.
Melanotus
click beetles (insect genus), dark-spored mushrooms (fungal genus)
Melanotus is a genus of click beetles (family Elateridae) comprising approximately 800 described species distributed worldwide. The genus includes several economically significant agricultural pests, particularly wireworm species whose larvae damage crop roots and tubers. Research has identified sex pheromones for some species, enabling development of monitoring and management tools. The genus name Melanotus is also applied to a fungal genus in Strophariaceae, but this record addresses the beetle genus.
Melanotus castanipes
Chestnut-footed Click Beetle
Melanotus castanipes is a click beetle in the family Elateridae. It is a medium-sized species, measuring 13–19 mm in length, with a uniformly black or slightly browner head and an elongated body with tapering elytra. The species is distributed across eastern Canada and is known for its long antennae, which extend beyond the posterior margin of the pronotum. Like other click beetles, it possesses the characteristic clicking mechanism for righting itself when overturned.
Melanotus clandestinus
Melanotus clandestinus is a click beetle species in the family Elateridae. It is one of several Melanotus species known as corn wireworms, with larvae that develop in soil and feed on crop roots. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, though specific information on this particular species is limited in available sources.
Melanotus communis
corn wireworm
Melanotus communis is a click beetle (Elateridae) whose larvae, known as corn wireworms, are significant agricultural pests in the eastern United States. Adults are reddish-brown and approximately 13 mm long. The species has been studied extensively for its pest status in sugarcane, potato, and other crops, with research focusing on entomopathogen susceptibility, pheromone-based monitoring, and soil habitat preferences.
Melanotus cribriventris
Melanotus cribriventris is a species of click beetle (family Elateridae) with documented occurrence in India, Sri Lanka, China, and the USA. The species has a body length of approximately 10 mm, with elytra measuring about 7.5 mm. As a member of the genus Melanotus, it belongs to a group that includes several agricultural pest species known as wireworms in their larval stage.
Melanotus cribulosus
Melanotus cribulosus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, first described by LeConte in 1853. The genus Melanotus includes multiple species of wireworms, the soil-dwelling larval stage of click beetles, which are recognized as agricultural pests. Specific ecological and behavioral details for M. cribulosus remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Melanotus depressus
wireworm
Melanotus depressus is a wireworm species in the click beetle family Elateridae, first described by Melsheimer in 1844. The larval stage, known as wireworms, are soil-dwelling pests that feed on plant roots and tubers. Laboratory studies have examined their feeding behavior and growth under varying environmental conditions including temperature, photoperiod, and dietary regimes.
Melanotus dietrichi
Melanotus dietrichi is a species of click beetle (Elateridae) described by Quate in 1967. The genus Melanotus includes several economically significant wireworm species whose larvae are agricultural pests. M. dietrichi belongs to a group of soil-dwelling beetles where larval stages feed on plant roots and subterranean plant parts.
Melanotus difficilis
Melanotus difficilis is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. Very limited information is available for this species; only one observation has been documented on iNaturalist, indicating it is either extremely rare, poorly sampled, or potentially a taxonomic synonym. The genus Melanotus contains numerous species of wireworms and click beetles, many of which are soil-dwelling larvae that feed on plant roots.
Melanotus gradatus
Melanotus gradatus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. Like other members of the genus Melanotus, it is part of a group commonly referred to as wireworms in their larval stage. The genus includes several agricultural pest species, though specific information on M. gradatus itself is limited.
Melanotus ignobilis
Melanotus ignobilis is a click beetle species in the family Elateridae, first described by Melsheimer in 1844. The species is known from Ontario, Canada, with limited observational records. As a member of the genus Melanotus, it belongs to a group of wireworm beetles whose larvae are soil-dwelling agricultural pests. Specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature.
Melanotus indistinctus
Melanotus indistinctus is a click beetle species in the family Elateridae, described by Quate in 1967. Like other members of the genus Melanotus, it is likely a soil-dwelling species with larvae that function as agricultural pests. The specific epithet "indistinctus" suggests it may be difficult to distinguish from related species. No iNaturalist observations are recorded for this species, indicating it is either rare, poorly surveyed, or taxonomically cryptic.
Melanotus infaustus
Melanotus infaustus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Melanotus includes multiple wireworm species that are agricultural pests, though specific information about M. infaustus is limited. Related species in the genus are known as corn wireworms and are significant pests of potato and corn crops.
Melanotus insipiens
Melanotus insipiens is a small click beetle (Elateridae) native to the eastern United States. Its female-produced sex pheromone has been identified as decyl butanoate, enabling pheromone-based monitoring of this species. Adults are active above ground primarily in May and June, while immature stages are soil-dwelling. The species has been recorded as a pest of alsike clover and wheat in Georgia.
Melanotus lanceatus
Melanotus lanceatus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. As a member of the genus Melanotus, it shares characteristics with other wireworm beetles, whose larval forms are known agricultural pests. The species has been documented in taxonomic records but remains poorly studied compared to economically significant congeners such as Melanotus communis. No observations of this species have been recorded in community science databases.
Melanotus lanei
Melanotus lanei is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, first described by Quate in 1967. It belongs to the genus Melanotus, a group of wireworms and click beetles that includes several agricultural pest species. The species is part of a taxonomic group whose larvae (wireworms) are significant soil-dwelling pests of various crops. Specific ecological and biological details for M. lanei itself remain poorly documented in available literature.
Melanotus leonardi
Melanotus leonardi is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1853. The genus Melanotus contains multiple species of wireworms, the soil-dwelling larval forms that are agricultural pests. Larvae of related Melanotus species, including M. communis, are known as corn wireworms and damage crop roots and tubers. Adults possess the characteristic click mechanism of Elateridae, using a prosternal process and mesosternal socket to produce an audible snapping sound.
Melanotus longulus
Melanotus longulus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, first described by LeConte in 1853. The species is part of the genus Melanotus, which includes several economically important wireworm species whose larvae damage agricultural crops. Two subspecies are recognized: M. l. longulus and M. l. oregonensis. Like other elaterids, adults possess the characteristic clicking mechanism for righting themselves when overturned.
Melanotus longulus longulus
Melanotus longulus longulus is a subspecies of click beetle in the family Elateridae. Like other members of the genus Melanotus, it belongs to a group commonly referred to as wireworms in their larval stage. The species is part of a complex of soil-dwelling beetles that are agricultural pests in North America. Limited specific information is available for this subspecies compared to the broader species complex.
Melanotus miscellus
Melanotus miscellus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, described by Quate in 1967. It belongs to a genus containing several agricultural pest species whose larvae are known as wireworms. The species is recorded from Ontario and Québec, Canada. Specific ecological and biological details for M. miscellus remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Melanotus morosus
Melanotus morosus is a species of click beetle (family Elateridae) described by Candèze in 1860. It belongs to a genus containing agricultural pest species, though specific information about this particular species is limited. The genus Melanotus includes several economically important wireworm species whose larvae damage crop roots.
Melanotus parallelus
Melanotus parallelus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Melanotus contains numerous species of wireworms and click beetles, many of which are recognized as agricultural pests due to their soil-dwelling larval stages that feed on crop roots and tubers. This species is part of a taxonomically challenging genus where species identification often requires examination of fine morphological characters. Like other members of Elateridae, adults possess the distinctive clicking mechanism used to right themselves when overturned.
Melanotus pertinax
Melanotus pertinax is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The species was described by Say in 1839. Like other members of the genus Melanotus, it is a soil-dwelling beetle with larvae (wireworms) that feed on plant roots and underground plant parts. The genus includes several agricultural pest species, though specific documentation of M. pertinax as a crop pest appears limited in available sources.
Melanotus piceatus
click beetle, wireworm
Melanotus piceatus is a North American click beetle species in the family Elateridae. Adults are moderate-sized (11–12 mm), elongate, and dark red-brown to black. The species has been studied for its sex pheromone chemistry, with females producing (2Z,6E)-farnesyl acetate as the primary attractant compound. Larvae inhabit soil for extended periods, leading to a multiyear life cycle. Adults are active above-ground in spring and summer, with peak flight activity from May through June.
Melanotus pilosus
Melanotus pilosus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, described by Blatchley in 1910. The specific epithet 'pilosus' refers to the hairy appearance of the species. It belongs to a genus containing several economically important species, including the corn wireworm Melanotus communis, which is a significant agricultural pest. The biology of M. pilosus has been less studied compared to its congener M. communis.
Melanotus prasinus
Melanotus prasinus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, described by Blatchley in 1910. The species belongs to the genus Melanotus, a group of soil-dwelling beetles whose larvae are commonly known as wireworms. As with other members of this genus, the larvae are likely subterranean and feed on plant roots, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented. The species has been recorded in Ontario, Canada.
Melanotus similis
Melanotus similis is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, described by Kirby in 1837. It is a soil-inhabiting pest of row crops that has also been documented in forest habitats. The species occurs in eastern Canada, with records from Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island.
Melanotus spadix
Melanotus spadix is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, first described by Erichson in 1841. It belongs to a genus containing several agricultural pest species whose larvae (wireworms) damage crop roots and tubers. The species has been recorded from Ontario, Canada, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain limited in available literature.
Melanotus tenax
Melanotus tenax is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The genus Melanotus contains numerous species of wireworms, the soil-dwelling larval forms that are significant agricultural pests. Larvae feed on roots and tubers of crops, causing economic damage in agricultural systems. Adults are generally nocturnal and attracted to lights.
Melanotus trapezoideus
Melanotus trapezoideus is a click beetle species in the family Elateridae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1853. The genus Melanotus contains several economically important wireworm species whose larval stages damage agricultural crops. Adults are characterized by their elongated bodies and ability to produce an audible clicking sound through a prosternal process that snaps into a mesosternal groove, a mechanism used for righting themselves when overturned. Specific biological details for M. trapezoideus remain poorly documented compared to congeneric pest species.
Metanomus
Metanomus is a genus of click beetles (family Elateridae) established by Buysson in 1887. As a member of the diverse Elateridae family, species in this genus possess the characteristic clicking mechanism used for righting themselves when overturned. The genus is relatively poorly documented in public sources, with limited species-level information available.
Metanomus insidiosus
Insidious Click Beetle
Metanomus insidiosus is a click beetle species described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1853. As a member of the family Elateridae, it possesses the characteristic "click" mechanism that allows these beetles to right themselves when flipped onto their backs. The species is distributed across multiple Canadian provinces.
Microhypnus
Microhypnus is a genus of click beetles (Elateridae) established by Kishii in 1976. The genus contains species of small elaterid beetles, with limited published information available. Records in natural history databases indicate very few observations, suggesting either rarity, restricted distribution, or undercollection. The genus belongs to the diverse click beetle family, characterized by the ability to right themselves using a prosternal process that engages with a mesosternal groove.
Microhypnus striatulus
Striated Click Beetle
Microhypnus striatulus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. It is known from eastern and western Canada, with records from Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. The species was first described by LeConte in 1853. It is one of few described species in the genus Microhypnus, a group of small click beetles. Available information on its biology and ecology remains limited.