The click beetles, elaters or Skip-Jacks are beetles of the Elateridae family, related to the fire-flies, which when lying on their back, have the power of throwing themselves to a considerable height in the air and regaining their feet, by a rapid jerk accompanied by a clicking sound produced by the jumping mechanism in the thorax. The larvae, known as wire worms, live in the ground and some species feed on the roots of cereals damaging crops. When alarmed, the click beetle fakes death. They live in flowers, grass, and decaying wood and are almost always found singly. The fireflies of America belong to the family. They possess luminous properties, which are unlike those of the glow-worm, etc, being seated near the head. The Pyrophorus noctilucus, called cocuyo in Brazil, was formerly used as a personal ornament by ladies. Research Click Beetle
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Abbreviations
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Research Click Beetle
