Click Beetle
Scientific Name: Aeolus mellillus (or similar species in the Elateridae family)
Order & Family: Order: Coleoptera, Family: Elateridae
Size: Typically 5 to 25 mm (0.2 to 1 inch) depending on the species.
Natural Habitat
Found in gardens, meadows, and forests; adults often enter homes through windows or doors, attracted to lights.
Diet & Feeding
Adults feed on nectar, pollen, flowers, and occasionally other insects; larvae (wireworms) feed on roots, seeds, and decomposing organic matter.
Behavior Patterns
Known for their unique clicking mechanism: when on their back, they use a thoracic peg to launch themselves into the air with a clicking sound to right themselves or escape predators. Most are nocturnal.
Risks & Benefits
Harmless to humans as they do not bite or sting. In the ecosystem, they aid in decomposition, though their larvae (wireworms) can be significant agricultural pests by damaging crop roots.
Identified on: 6/8/2026