(Alaus oculatus)
A short video of a click beetle by Carl Barrentine
The click beetle’s common name comes from the clicking sound that is made by a mechanism on the thorax of adults. They use this mechanism to throw themselves into the air or to right themselves when they are on their backs. They are commonly found under stones and logs or look at flowers and vegetation.
The larvae can be very destructive. They like to feed on newly planted seeds and the roots of beans, cotton, potatoes, corn, and cereals.
They can do major damage. The larvae of some species of them are predatory. They are usually black or brown, but sometimes they are brightly coloured. They are easily recognized by their characteristic shape; the body is elongated, usually parallel-sided, with rounded ends.
The larvae are often shiny, slender, and hard-bodied and are commonly called wireworms.