ELATERIDAE - CLICK BEETLES
A cosmopolitan family united by the unique jumping mechanism which they all possess. A spine on the prosternum is clicked violently into a notch on the mesosternum firing the beetle into the air - this process being used to escape predation but also to turn the beetle back onto its feet when it finds itself on its back. Most are nocturnal plant eaters and though the majority are dull-coloured, some species are extremely attractive.
Click the images to enlarge them.
Many thanks to Peter Cate for identifying the species on this page.
Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this page were taken by Paul Smith, Alberto Esquivel, Chris Elder, David Gill and Jeni Oborn and are used with their permission.
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FIGURE 1 - Anchastus sp. - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 2 - Chalcolepidus limbatus (Subfamily Agrypninae) - Pilar, Departamento Ñeembucú (Paul Smith December 2007).
FIGURE 3 - Chalcolepidus zonatus (Subfamily Agrypninae) - Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith July 2008).
FIGURE 4 - Conoderus sp. - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith February 2008 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 5 - Henirhipus lineatus - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (left Chris Elder, others Alberto Esquivel November 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 6 - Pyrophorus sp. probably punctatissimus - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Upper left Chris Elder, others Paul Smith November 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 7 - Semiotus serraticornis - Mbaracayú Forest Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Paul Smith April 2005).
FIGURE 8 - Semiotus serraticornis - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Jeni Oborn May 2008 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 9 - Unidentified sp. larvae - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (David Gill March 2008 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).