
Community identification
Click Beetle
Family Elateridae
- Order & Family
- Order: Coleoptera; Family: Elateridae
- Size
- 2 mm to 40 mm, though most common varieties are around 10-20 mm.
Natural Habitat
Typically found in soils, decaying wood, or under leaf litter; they frequently enter homes through cracks or around windows.
Diet & Feeding
Larvae (known as wireworms) eat plant roots or decaying organic matter. Adults typically feed on plant matter, nectar, or pollen.
Behavior Patterns
Notable for their clicking mechanism; when turned on their backs, they use a specialized prosternal spine to snap their bodies, propelling themselves into the air to right themselves or escape predators.
Risks & Benefits
Adults are generally harmless to humans but can be minor garden pests. Larvae (wireworms) can be significant agricultural pests by damaging the roots of cereal crops and vegetables.