Eastern Eyed Click Beetle

The eyed elator, Alaus oculatus, is a very large click beetle. It is also called the eyed click beetle. Click beetles are so called because of their unusual mechanism for righting themselves when upset. The beetles snap their bodies with an audible click that sends them sailing up into the air more or less like a tiddly wink. The name “elator” is derived from the family Elateridae, the family of click beetles. The “eyed” part of the name refers to large eye spots on the thorax. These large, fake eyes probably scare birds and other predators. These beetles can fly and are sometimes attracted to lights at night. Females lay their eggs in decaying logs and stumps. Immature eyed elators are wireworms that grow to almost two inches long. They have small but functional legs and are slender like earthworms but are smooth, tough, and brown. These wireworms burrow through the rotting wood and feed on grubs and other hapless organisms.