Click Beetle

Click beetles are a diverse family of insects, Elateridae, characterized by their unique ability to 'click' and flip themselves into the air. This family contains over 10,000 species worldwide. Adults are typically elongate, flattened, and range in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters, often dark-colored. Their most distinctive feature is a hinged joint between the prothorax and mesothorax. Females lay eggs in soil or decaying wood. Larvae, known as wireworms, are slender, cylindrical, hard-bodied, and yellowish to brown, often segmented. The larval stage can last from one to five years, with pupation occurring in the soil. Development is influenced by soil temperature and moisture.

Adult click beetles are largely nocturnal or crepuscular, with many species attracted to lights. Their most notable behavior is the 'clicking' mechanism used to right themselves when overturned, or to escape predators; this involves rapidly flexing the prothorax against the mesothorax. Females seek out suitable substrates—often soil or rotting wood—for oviposition. Wireworm larvae are subterranean, moving through the soil in search of food. They are known for their slow, deliberate movement. Some species are predaceous, but most are phytophagous.