Click beetles also process a secret weapon which is guaranteed to startle both naturalists and predators alike. Larvae, called "wireworms," are usually hard-bodied, brownish, ½ to 2-½ inch long and cylindrical, with three pairs of tiny true legs behind the head and a flattened, and an ornamented shield-like segment on the tail end of the body. Eastern Eyed Click Beetle Tweet; Notes: It was already dead of natural causes when I found it. Some of the 800-species found in North American are among our most harmful crop pests, spending up to six years as "wireworm" larva in the soil. - G52H9N from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
Click beetles are elongated, parallel-sided and usually bear backward projections on the side corners of the shield behind the head (pronotum). North Carolina, USA.
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Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. Most species are brown to black in color, although some have reddish and yellowish colors and patterns. They are somewhat flattened and range in size and color by species. Click beetle larvae, called wireworms, are usually saprophagous, living on dead organisms, but some species are serious agricultural pests, and others are active predators of other insect larvae. When threatened, a beetle's first line of defense is to release its grip from what it is climbing on, drop to the ground, and lie motionless and upside down until the danger passes.
Your Lightboxes will appear here when you have created some. The eyed click beetle, reaches 1-½ inches in length and is beautifully marked with prominent oval eye spots on the pronotum and mottled gray wing covers. Species ID Suggestions Sign in to suggest organism ID. When placed on their backs, these beetles characteristically "click", snapping their thoracic segments (prothorax and mesothorax) to cause their bodies to flip in the air to right themselves. Eastern eyed click beetle. The false eyes of Eastern Eyed Click Beetle, Alaus oculatus.