#elateridae

[platycryptus]

Eyed Elaters (Alaus)

eyed elater click beetles, like this Alaus oculatus from Florida, are the biggest click beetles (Elateridae) found in temperate North America.

Click beetles are best known for their eponymous clicking ability- a sort of elastic locking mechanism on their thorax can snap open with a loud clicking sound, which helps them startle or escape the grasp of predators and allows them to launch themselves into the air when overturned (you can see that in slow motion at the end of the video)

(more elating click beetle trivia below!)

They live around decaying trees and logs, the adults feeding on sap flows and other sugary liquids while the predatory grubs use their powerful jaws to tunnel in search of other wood-dwelling insect larvae to devour (by contrast many smaller click beetle larvae, often called wireworms, feed on rotting wood itself or other plant matter). To rear these beetles in captivity it’s necessary to keep the larvae in containers made of a hard material like glass, as they’ll chew through plastic and escape (I learned this the hard way the first time I found and attempted to raise a grub).

There are 6 Alaus species in the US, the largest of which can be over 5 cm long. Two are found in forests along the east coast- A. oculatus, the eastern eyed elater (below, left) and its smaller relative A. myops, the blind elater (right).

Even though the larvae don't feed directly on decaying wood, different Alaus species prefer different trees- oculatus breeds in dead oaks and other hardwoods, while myops found in the same habitats only use well-rotted pines.

#beetles #elateridae #click beetle #coleoptera #Alaus #eyed elater #Alaus oculatus #Alaus myops #bugs #bugblr #entomology #insects

[pelagodes]

bro is made out of TV static

western eyed click beetle pal, Alaus melanops

#click beetle #beetle #beetleposting #Alaus melanops #insect #entomology #insects #Elateridae

[ljsbugblog]

dramatic

#ljsbugblog #bugblr #entomology #insects #coleoptera #beetles #elateroidea #elateridae #click beetles #video

[cnestus]

[frank zappa voice] whoa, we're so woolen below have you seen us Scaptolenus we're click beetles but we're setose (yes we are) the males swarm when it rains in meadows pleocomid ass pet loves to fuck when its wet females stay in their nice dirt burrows (dirt burrows)

(image source)

#coleoptera #elateridae #scaptolenus #not my photos #i found one of these at work today and the first stanza instantly materialized and seared into my brain #anyway what the fuck is with this convergent evolution #why do scaptolenus and pleocoma have nearly identical appearances and mating behaviors #theyre not even remotely related

[onenicebugperday]

Angulate click beetle, Semiotus angulatus, Elateridae

Photographed in Peru by desertnaturalist

#animals #curators on tumblr #insects #bugs #beetle #click beetle #angulate click beetle #Elateridae #Semiotus angulatus #one nice bug

[reanimateobjects]

#Elateridae #Coleoptera #Insecta #Arthropoda #gif

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

An adorably hairy click beetle, likely Sylvanelater cylindriformis, hanging out on a willow in my yard.

#Sylvanelater cylindriformis #Sylvanelater #Elateridae #click beetle #Coleoptera #beetle #insect #bug of the day #BotD

[jupiterswasphouse]

[PHOTOS TAKEN: JUNE 17TH, 2023 | Image IDs: Four photos of a brown click beetle on the rim of a beige and black plastic rain water barrel /End IDs.]

#Click beetle #elateridae #beetles #beetle #coleoptera #insects #insect #bugs #bug #bugblr #arthropods #entomology #invertebrate #inverts #photos #photo #Wasp House Sights

[jenfoundabug]

Unknown species of click beetle.

Found in Joseph D Grant County Park, Northern CA.

#click beetle #elateridae #nature photography #insects #entomology #beetle #bugs #joseph d grant county park #inaturalist #nature #insect appreciation #biodiversity

[fivetrench]

Bugs I saw today! Left is a brown marmorated stink bug (haymorpha halys) and right is what I’m pretty sure is an eastern carpenter bee (xylocopa virginica). Unfortunately the bee was very lethargic and likely about to die, I put it under some tall grass and let it be after taking the photo.

I also saw a click beetle (not sure of the species) and some carpenter ants but didn’t take any photos. I love click beetles, they’re one of my favorite types of bug :3

#not art #entomology #brown marmorated stink bug #halymorpha halys #eastern carpenter bee #xylocopa virginica #click beetle #elateridae #bug identification #insects #insect cw

[cainhowlett]

Working on the layout for one of the next woodblocks. I’m a messy draftsmen, but I clean it up when I carve. Dedicated to the Ghost Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae. Between worlds

#nature #art #california #mendocino #sonoma #bay area #ink #printmaking #illustration #mokuhanga #woodblock print #botany #flowers #orchids #Cephalanthera #entomology #beetles #curculionidae #elateridae

[platycryptus]

click beetles are truly romantic creatures 😍

#alaus oculatus #eyed elater #click beetle #coleoptera #beetles #elateridae #bugs #bugblr #insects #entomology

[pipunculidae]

A clicker!

#bugs #insects #paloss camera #elateridae #coleoptera

[ljsbugblog]

more beetle flight, this time some kind of click beetle(?).

Pasture Wireworm (Conoderus exsul).

#ljsbugblog #bugblr #entomology #insects #coleoptera #beetles #elateroidea #elateridae #click beetles #video

[cnestus]

eastern eyed click beetle, Alaus oculatus (Elateridae)

#coleoptera #elateridae

[bbbugsnstuff]

Eastern eyed click beetle; Alaus oculatus

This bro was massive; the length of my thumb at least. Had no idea there were click beetles that could get that big.

Click beetles have an interesting ability; they have an organ on their underside that can be loaded to build up the energy needed to launch them into the air to right themselves if they end up their backs (and it frightens predators, too!). They get their name from the distinctive "click" noise the organ makes when it unlatches.

-----------------------

Check out my art blog: bugbeast.me - I just released a card game, and you can play it with a normal deck of cards!

#bugbeast #entemology #bug facts #bugs #insecta #insects #arthropoda #arthropods #bugblr #photography #nature #nature photography #animals #cute animals #cute bugs #cool bugs #beetles #click beetle #eastern eyed click beetle #elateridae