Bug Identifier
Click Beetle
Community identification

Click Beetle

Melanotus spp.

Order & Family
Coleoptera: Elateridae
Size
12 mm to 40 mm (varies by specific species)
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found globally in soil, decaying wood, and leafy vegetation; often attracted to lights and found inside houses.

Diet & Feeding

Adults eat nectar, pollen, or soft plant tissue; larvae (wireworms) feed on decaying vegetation and crop roots.

Behavior Patterns

Possess a unique 'clicking' mechanism where they snap a thoracic spine into a groove to flip their bodies upright or escape predators. Most are nocturnal.

Risks & Benefits

Harmless to humans; no sting or bite. However, their larvae can be significant agricultural pests by damaging the roots of cereal crops and potatoes.