BioKIDS - Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species, Elateridae, click beetles: INFORMATION
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Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species
Elateridae
What do they look like?
Adult Click Beetles are long skinny beetles with grooves running down their wing covers. Most adult Click Beetles are 12-30 mm long, a few species get up to 45 mm. The front of their heads and the back end of their wing covers are rounded. Unlike most beetles, the connection between the first and second section of the thorax is flexible, they can move their heads and first pair of legs separately from the rest of the body. This lets them do the trick that they are named for. They can snap the two sections, making a loud click sound, and flipping themselves over if they are lying on their backs.
Click Beetle larvae are long and shiny, with tough segmented bodies.  They are sometimes called wireworms.  Unlike mealworms (which are larvae of another family of beetles) click beetle mouth parts point straight forward.
Other Physical Features
0.47 to 1.57 in
Where do they live?
Species of Click Beetles are found all around the world. There are over 900 species known from North America, and probably more that haven't been discovered yet.
Biogeographic Regions
native
What kind of habitat do they need?
Adult Click Beetles are found on the ground, on plants, in decaying wood, or hiding under bark.  Most Click Beetle larvae live in the soil, but some are found under bark, in decaying wood, and in moss. These kinds of beetles are found anywhere there is vegetation and soil, but are rare in deserts or flooded areas.
These animals are found in the following types of habitat
marsh
How do they grow?
Like all beetles, Click Beetles have complete metamorphosis. Adult females lay eggs. The young that hatch from the eggs are larvae that are long with shiny segments and no wings.  Many species spend a year or more in the larval stage. Larvae transform into pupae, which look sort of like the adults but are a resting stage. Many beetle spend the winter as pupae, but most Click Beetles spend the winter as larvae or adults. Each pupa transforms into an adult after a few days or weeks.
Development - Life Cycle
metamorphosis
How long do they live?
Some species of Click Beetle can complete two generations in one year, but most take one or more years to become adults. A few species that live in especially cold climates talk 3 or 4 years.
How do they behave?
In cool climates adult Click Beetles are active in the daytime, but when the weather is warmer they move more at night.  Some of these beetles are atttracted to lights at night.  Most species are solitary, but some are often found in groups. We don't know what they are doing together.
Key Behaviors