The sometimes elegant or bold click beetle

[trehopr1]

I've always had a soft spot for elegant, bold, or unusual
click beetles (Elateridae). The click beetle "form" is in
itself "easy on the eyes" or pleasing for its rounded (crown),
parallel sides, and tapered finish.

Add to this some eyespots, bold colors, or appealing color
combinations and you have some grand looking members which
belong to this largely overlooked family of beetles.

Pictured below are 3 of my stunning elaterids encountered
over the years. I hope you too find them curious to admire !



My photograph here attempts to cover all 3 categories of 
"uniqueness" for which members of this cosmopolitan family
are known: false eyespots, pleasing color combinations, and
boldly marked species.

Left to right we have:

1.) An Eyed Elater (Alaus oculatus) (large female)

2.) An Apache Click Beetle (Chalcolepidius apacheanus)
     from Gila Co., Arizona

3.) A striking Peruvian species (Semiotus sanguinicollis)

Of coarse, a 4th category I cannot show is that some species
possess properties of luminescence !

In closing, I would add that these benign creatures can be a 
simple delight when placed (on their back) in the open hand 
of a child. The resulting "snap" elicits a BIG smile or giggles
when the beetle rights itself in the unique manner for which
this family is known. 

[evra]

Chalcolepidius smaragdinus is a very pretty one as well. Metallic green with metallic blue legs and antennae.

[eleodes]

While not drop-dead gorgeous, here's an Elaterid with a very subtle beauty and grace.
Pherhimius fascicularis
(www.flickr.com/photos/194256110@N07/51807643217/in/dateposted-public/)

Unfortunately, other than Alaus oculatus, this is about the extent of my interesting Elaterids (unless there's interest in seeing some of my small species, haha)

[trehopr1]

That's a nice one eleodes !

Has a nice "woodsy" look about it. It's elytra with their varied wood pattern is reminiscent of the forewings of Catocala nebulosa; which are also very woodsy in appearance with varying shades of browns and a "hint of overall green" tossed in -- on fresh specimens.

I collected an Elaterid species in southern Illinois which is a medium-sized species that bears an overall look of patent leather shoes. That is, it's very glossy black.

I will get a picture for you (as soon as time allows); hopefully, this week. It's very cool.

[vabrou]

elodes, Pherhimius fascicularis is a rather abundant species here at my home in SE Louisiana. I can say that because I operated a series of high-wattage light traps continually every night of every day of every year for the past 53 years. At times it occurs as a pest here.

Here at my home I have many dozens of click beetles, all of the more notable larger species, but especially a goodly number of smaller species. For many decades I sold beetles of all kinds in 70% isopropyl alcohol. Looked in my past records, selling 5,000 specimens for $100.00 plus $20.00 shipping, additional $25.00 for 5,000 professionally printed labels with dry ink. I could furnish about 10,000 such specimens of click beetles in any given year.

Here is an example of what I am speaking about.

[eleodes]

trehopr, maybe similar to my one here: www.flickr.com/photos/194256110@N07/51869063080/in/dateposted-public/ (Melanactes sp.). Overall, an interesting species, I just figured it was too plain by most people's standards.

vabrou, that's really neat! Do you get many Tenebrionidae, Carabidae, and Staphylinidae?

[trehopr1]

Indeed eleodes that may well be it (genus).

I will still get you a picture. I have only found a half dozen (and always as singles) over my visits down there.

I find it a VERY elegant species and very much unlike all the little brown jobs I typically see. They really only amount to happenstance captures...

I'm sure all those little brown numbers probably amount to several different species but I'm not (that) much into Elateridae to ever bother or care about the common or pest species.

[vabrou]

eleodes, if I can capture 124 million insects using mostly 70 light trap hours, guess how many insects of all types I captured operating my traps for 1,140,000 light trap hours.

[vabrou]

eleodes and trehopr1, eleodes here is a web-accessible automatic powerpoint slideshow of my 2009 donation to the Louisiana State Arthropod museum, Baton Rouge Louisiana. I have been donating annual batches of duplicate Louisiana insect since 1970 there. May take a minute or more to download and open up depending upon your pc and internet provider speed. May run automatically or maybe one photo at a time. Some of my older publications are available there as well, mostly before 2010. Link: www.lsuinsects.org/people/vernonbrou/index.html

trehopr1, Yes I too get that black shiny (patent-leather looking) click beetle you mentioned here, though it is not common here and has a rather narrow flight period, timewise.

Here are 179 Louisiana click beetles from my 2006 donation to the LSAM.

[vabrou]

here are 431 pinned and labeled click beetles also from my 2006 donation to the LSAM

[vabrou]

Here are more click beetles from my 2006 donation

[trehopr1]

There still remains a LOT to like about
click beetles; so long as you look past
those smallish non-descript brown jobbies.

So, where better to look than in exotic locales.
Looking thru my goods late tonight I found 2 more
nifty looking ones acquired many years ago.

Not sure if they can still be had but, many moons ago
I thought these were VERY cool in their bi-color suits
and patterns.

All data and names came off the packaging which
they arrived in...





I still have several other nifty ones to show but, they are
scattered across several of my unit tray drawers. I'll post
them as I run across them.

[livingplanet3]

Jan 31, 2022 15:12:44 GMT -8 evra said:

Chalcolepidius smaragdinus is a very pretty one as well. Metallic green with metallic blue legs and antennae.

Indeed - C. smaragdinus is one of the most beautiful click beetles found in the US. I've collected this species on Baccharis sp. in southeastern Arizona in August; smaragdinus and various other beetles are attracted to the sap of this plant.

Feb 7, 2022 23:56:12 GMT -8 trehopr1 said:

...Looking thru my goods late tonight I found 2 more
nifty looking ones acquired many years ago...

Yes - Madagascar has some great elaterids, and Lycoreus is one of the more notable genera found there. I have a single specimen of Lycoreus in my collection - L. corpulentus:



The largest click beetle found in my local area is Alaus lusciosus.