Click beetle

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Click beetles
Temporal range: Triassic–Recent
ElateridAdLarvae.jpg
Click beetle adults and larvae (wireworms)
Left: Wheat wireworm ( Agriotes mancus )
Right: Sand wireworm ( Horistonotus uhlerii )
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Elateriformia
Superfamily: Elateroidea
Family: Elateridae
Leach, 1815
Subfamilies [1]

Agrypninae
Campyloxeninae
Cardiophorinae
Dendrometrinae
Elaterinae
Eudicronychinae
Hemiopinae
Lissominae
Morostomatinae
Negastriinae
Oestodinae
Omalisinae [2]
Parablacinae
Physodactylinae
Pityobiinae
Plastocerinae
Subprotelaterinae
Tetralobinae
Thylacosterninae

Contents

Synonyms

Ampedidae
Campylidae
Cavicoxumidae
Ludiidae
Monocrepidiidae
Pangauridae
Phyllophoridae
Plastoceridae
Prosternidae
Pyrophoridae
Synaptidae

Ampedus nigricollis Ampedus nigricollis.jpg
Ampedus nigricollis
Melanotus leonardi Melanotus leonardi.jpg
Melanotus leonardi
Click beetle on a potato plant in an Oklahoma garden Click beetle.jpg
Click beetle on a potato plant in an Oklahoma garden

Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family of beetles. Other names include elaters, snapping beetles, spring beetles or skipjacks. This family was defined by William Elford Leach (1790–1836) in 1815. They are a cosmopolitan beetle family characterized by the unusual click mechanism they possess. There are a few other families of Elateroidea in which a few members have the same mechanism, but most elaterid subfamilies can click. A spine on the prosternum can be snapped into a corresponding notch on the mesosternum, producing a violent "click" that can bounce the beetle into the air. [3] Clicking is mainly used to avoid predation, although it is also useful when the beetle is on its back and needs to right itself. There are about 9300 known species worldwide, [4] and 965 valid species in North America. [5]

Etymology

Leach took the family name from the genus Elater , coined by Linnaeus in 1758. In Greek, ἐλατήρ means one who drives, pushes, or beats out. [6] It is also the origin of the word "elastic", from the notion of beating out a ductile substance. [7]

Description and ecology

Some click beetles are large and colorful, but most are under two centimeters long and brown or black, without markings. The adults are typically nocturnal and phytophagous, but only some are of economic importance. On hot nights they may enter houses, but are not pests there. 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. Some elaterid species are bioluminescent in both larval and adult form, such as those of the genus Pyrophorus .

Larvae are elongate, cylindrical or somewhat flattened, with hard bodies, somewhat resembling mealworms. The three pairs of legs on the thoracic segments are short and the last abdominal segment is, as is frequently the case in beetle larvae, directed downward and may serve as a terminal proleg in some species. [8] The ninth segment, the rearmost, is pointed in larvae of Agriotes , Dalopius and Melanotus , but is bifid due to a so-called caudal notch in Selatosomus (formerly Ctenicera), Limonius , Hypnoides and Athous species. [9] The dorsum of the ninth abdominal segment may also have sharp processes, such as in the Oestodini, including the genera Drapetes and Oestodes . Although some species complete their development in one year (e.g. Conoderus ), most wireworms spend three or four years in the soil, feeding on decaying vegetation and the roots of plants, and often causing damage to agricultural crops such as potato, strawberry, corn, and wheat. [10] [11] The subterranean habits of wireworms, their ability to quickly locate food by following carbon dioxide gradients produced by plant material in the soil, [12] and their remarkable ability to recover from illness induced by insecticide exposure (sometimes after many months), [13] make it hard to exterminate them once they have begun to attack a crop. Wireworms can pass easily through the soil on account of their shape and their propensity for following pre-existing burrows, [14] and can travel from plant to plant, thus injuring the roots of multiple plants within a short time. Methods for pest control include crop rotation and clearing the land of insects before sowing.

Other subterranean creatures such as the leatherjacket grub of crane flies which have no legs, and geophilid centipedes, which may have over two hundred, are sometimes confused with the six-legged wireworms. [8]

Evolution

The oldest known species date to the Triassic, but most are problematic due to only being known from isolated elytra. Many fossil elaterids belong to the extinct subfamily Protagrypninae. [15]

Selected genera

Notes

Lateral aspect of a typical member of the Elateridae. Just below the base of the wings the "clicking" apparatus is visible in silhouette, with the "peg" or "process" in contact with the raised slot or "cavity" into which it slips to force the impact when required. Denticollis.linearis.3.jpg
Lateral aspect of a typical member of the Elateridae. Just below the base of the wings the "clicking" apparatus is visible in silhouette, with the "peg" or "process" in contact with the raised slot or "cavity" into which it slips to force the impact when required.
  1. Robin Kundrata, Nicole L. Gunter, Dominika Janosikova & Ladislav Bocak (2018) Molecular evidence for the subfamilial status of Tetralobinae (Coleoptera: Elateridae), with comments on parallel evolution of some phenotypic characters. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 76: 137-145. doi:10.3897/asp.76.e31946
  2. Kusy, Dominik; Motyka, Michal; Bocek, Matej; Vogler, Alfried P.; Bocak, Ladislav (2018-11-20). "Genome sequences identify three families of Coleoptera as morphologically derived click beetles (Elateridae)". Scientific Reports. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 8 (1): 17084. Bibcode:2018NatSR...817084K. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-35328-0 . ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   6244081 . PMID   30459416.
  3. How the click beetle jumps from the back !. Myrmecofourmis.fr on Youtube. 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  4. Schneider, M. C.; et al. (2006). "Evolutionary chromosomal differentiation among four species of Conoderus Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Agrypninae, Conoderini) detected by standard staining, C-banding, silver nitrate impregnation, and CMA3/DA/DAPI staining". Genetica . 128 (1–3): 333–346. doi:10.1007/s10709-006-7101-5. PMID   17028962. S2CID   1901849.
  5. Majka, C. G.; P. J. Johnson (2008). "The Elateridae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: faunal composition, new records, and taxonomic changes" (PDF excerpt). Zootaxa . 1811: 1–33. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1811.1.1.
  6. Wiktionary - "elater"
  7. Wiktionary - "elastic"
  8. 1 2 Wikisource-logo.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Wireworm". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 739.
  9. van Herk, W. (March 12, 2009). "Limonius: wireworm research site". Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  10. R. S. Vernon; W. van Herk; J. Tolman; H. Ortiz Saavedra; M. Clodius; B. Gage (2008). "Transitional sublethal and lethal effects of insecticides after dermal exposures to five economic species of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae)". Journal of Economic Entomology . 101 (2): 365–374. doi:10.1603/0022-0493(2008)101[365:TSALEO]2.0.CO;2. PMID   18459400.
  11. William E. Parker; Julia J. Howard (2001). "The biology and management of wireworms (Agriotes spp.) on potato with particular reference to the U.K.". Agricultural and Forest Entomology . 3 (2): 85–98. doi:10.1046/j.1461-9563.2001.00094.x.
  12. J. F. Doane; Y. W. Lee; N. D. Westcott; J. Klingler (1975). "The orientation response of Ctenicera destructor and other wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) to germinating grain and to carbon dioxide". Canadian Entomologist . 107 (12): 1233–1252. doi:10.4039/Ent1071233-12.
  13. W. G. van Herk; R. S. Vernon; J. H. Tolman; H. Ortiz Saavedra (2008). "Mortality of a wireworm, Agriotes obscurus (Coleoptera: Elateridae), after topical application of various insecticides". Journal of Economic Entomology . 101 (2): 375–383. doi:10.1603/0022-0493(2008)101[375:moawao]2.0.co;2. PMID   18459401.
  14. Willem G. van Herk; Robert S. Vernon (2007). "Soil bioassay for studying behavioral responses of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) to inecticide-treated wheat seed". Environmental Entomology . 36 (6): 1441–1449. doi:10.1603/0046-225X(2007)36[1441:SBFSBR]2.0.CO;2. PMID   18284772.
  15. Kundrata, Robin; Packova, Gabriela; Hoffmannova, Johana (2020-06-26). "Fossil Genera in Elateridae (Insecta, Coleoptera): A Triassic Origin and Jurassic Diversification". Insects. 11 (6): 394. doi: 10.3390/insects11060394 . ISSN   2075-4450. PMC   7348820 . PMID   32604761.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elateroidea</span> Superfamily of beetles

The Elateroidea are a large superfamily of beetles. It contains the familiar click beetles, fireflies, and soldier beetles and their relatives. It consists of about 25,000 species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byrrhoidea</span> Superfamily of beetles

Byrrhoidea is a superfamily of beetles belonging to Elateriformia that includes several families which are either aquatic or associated with a semi-aquatic habitat. Other than the superfamily Hydrophiloidea, most of the remaining Polyphagan beetles which are aquatic are in this superfamily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhagophthalmidae</span> Family of beetles

The Rhagophthalmidae are a family of beetles within the superfamily Elateroidea. Members of this beetle family have bioluminescent organs on the larvae, and sometimes adults, and are closely related to the Phengodidae, though historically they have been often treated as a subfamily of Lampyridae, or as related to that family. Some recent evidence suggested that they were the sister group to the Phengodidae, and somewhat distantly related to Lampyridae, whose sister taxon was Cantharidae, but more reliable genome-based phylogenetics placed as the sister group to the Lampyridae.

<i>Alaus oculatus</i> Species of beetle

Alaus oculatus, commonly called the eastern eyed click beetle or eyed elater, is a species of click beetle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omalisinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

The Omalisinae are a small subfamily of morphologically derived elaterid beetles. The Omalisinae were long considered an independent family in the deprecated family Cantharoidea, and later a family in the Elateroidea, but molecular phylogenies have demonstrated the morphological similarity of Omalisinae to other soft bodied beetles is a case of parallel evolution (homoplasy) of their soft bodies, rather than an apomorphy. Members of this beetle subfamily have been reported to have bioluminescent organs on the larvae, although no recent publications have confirmed this. Some recent evidence indicated they were the sister group to a clade comprising the families Rhagophthalmidae and Phengodidae, however a more comprehensive phylogenetic analysis based on genome sequences strongly supported the Omalisinae as being contained within the Elateridae.

<i>Pyrophorus noctilucus</i> Species of beetle

Pyrophorus noctilucus, common name headlight elater, is a species of click beetle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drilini</span> Family of beetles

Drilini is a tribe of beetles known commonly as the false firefly beetles, in the family Elateridae.

<i>Agriotes sputator</i> Species of beetle

Agriotes sputator is a species of click beetle, commonly known as the common click beetle. The adult beetle is brown and inconspicuous, and the larvae live in the soil and are known as wireworms. They are agricultural pests that devour the roots and underground parts of many crops and other plants.

<i>Limonius</i> Genus of beetles

Limonius is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae. Many of the species formerly placed in this genus have been removed to other genera such as Gambrinus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaterinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Elaterinae is a subfamily of click beetles in the family Elateridae, containing 12 tribes worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agrypninae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Agrypninae is a subfamily of click beetles in the family Elateridae. There are at least 130 genera and more than 430 described species in Agrypninae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dendrometrinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Dendrometrinae is a very large subfamily of click beetles in the family Elateridae, containing 10 tribes worldwide, including several formerly recognized subfamily-rank groups such as Athoinae, Crepidomeninae, Denticollinae, Oxynopterinae, Prosterninae, and Semiotinae now all reduced to tribal rank or lower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negastriinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Negastriinae is a subfamily of click beetles in the family Elateridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrophorini</span> Tribe of beetles

The Pyrophorini are a New World taxonomic tribe within the Elateridae subfamily Agrypninae. Pyrophorini is a tribe of bioluminescent beetles, and includes such genera as Pyrophorus and Ignelater.

<i>Sinopyrophorus</i> Genus of click beetles

Sinopyrophorus is a genus of bioluminescent hard-bodied clicking beetles in the superfamily Elateroidea, and is the sole member of the recently recognized family Sinopyrophoridae. The genus currently contains a single species, Sinopyrophorus schimmeli, which was described in 2019 from the subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests of western Yunnan, China.

<i>Oxynopterus mucronatus</i> Species of beetle

Oxynopterus mucronatus, sometimes known as the giant click beetle, is a species of click beetle from tropical Southeast Asia. Their larvae are specialized predators of termites.

<i>Ampedus</i> Genus of beetles

Ampedus is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae. There are currently 461 recognized species of Ampedus beetles. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, but is found mostly in the Holarctic region, primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. The oldest known fossil from this genus was found in Eocene Baltic amber, estimated to be from 38.0 to 33.9 million years ago.

Dendrometrini is a tribe of click beetles in the family Elateridae, including some formerly recognized subfamily or tribal-rank groups such as Athoinae, Denticollinae, and Hemicrepidiini now all reduced to subtribal rank.

References

On the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures website: