by Lydia Holley July 6, 2020
Texas has a vast array of beetles. Playing with June Beetles is a fun diversion for children, but adults worry about the damage the beetles cause to the landscape. Blister Beetles can, as the name implies, blister. They can also kill a horse if eaten. Some are destructive, like the Southern
Pine Beetle and the Emerald Ash Borer (which has been discovered in Harrison, Marion, Cass, Denton and Montague Counties).
Stag Beetles look alarming but are not considered a pest. Red Headed Beauties have the best common name, although they are not found in East Texas. A few, like the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle, are considered beneficial. The beetle that caught my eye this week was the Eyed Click Beetle.
As their name implies, Click Beetles make a clicking sound. They do this by flexing then snapping sections of their bodies together, much like the snap of a rubber band. This gives them the ability to right themselves if they land on their backs, although landing is a game of chance.
Studies on Click Beetles have shown that they can jump up to 25 times their body length. They also rotate and do somersaults in the air. Squirming like a dropped cat, they try to right themselves before landing, but only achieve that about half the time. If they land upside down, they must try again.
Why do Click Beetles click? Other than to right themselves, scientists are not sure. Some suggest they do this to startle a bird into opening its mouth and dropping an insect for the beetle to feed on. The pattern of the Eyed Click Beetle has two circles on its back which resemble eyes. To birds, this beetle must look like Jason Voorhees from the 1980’s movie Friday the 13th. How frightening it would be to have those eyes jumping toward you!
However, some believe Click Beetles feed only on aphids, leaves, or pollen. Some think they do not feed at all. So perhaps their click is just another scare tactic used strictly for defense.
The larva of the Eyed Click Beetle is called a wireworm. It is this stage which makes the Eyed Click Beetle beneficial. While some wireworms can be very destructive, the wireworm of the Eyed Click Beetle eats the larva of flies and wood-boring beetles. So, watch out, Emerald Ash Borer and Southern Pine Beetles! Jason the Eyed Click Beetle may be coming for you.
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