| Subtaxon | Example images | Rank | Featured subtaxa |
No of images |
No of ID refs |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Subfamily | 1 subtaxa | 8 images | |||||
|
|
Subfamily | 8 subtaxa | 88 images | 1 ident. refs | ||||
|
|
Subfamily | 10 subtaxa | 101 images | 1 ident. refs | ||||
| Subfamily | 1 subtaxa | 18 images | ||||||
|
|
Genus | 1 subtaxa | 18 images | |||||
|
|
Unidentified | 14 images | ||||||
| Author | Year | Title | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dusanek, V. & Mertlik, J. | Elateridae: Click Beetle of the Palearctic Region | www.elateridae.com/?lg=uk&idp=&kat= | ||
| Platia, G. | 1994 | Coleoptera, Elateridae | Platia, G., 1994. Coleoptera, Elateridae, Fauna d’Italia | |
| Telfer, M. & Joy, N.M. | 2010 | Joy’s keys to Elateridae, Eucnemidae and Throscidae | http://markgtelfer.co.uk/beetles/elateridae-eucnemidae-and-throscidae/ | |
| Wallace, J. | Elateridae of the British Isles | elateridae.co.uk/ | ||
Larvae | ||||
| van Emden, F.I. | 1945 | Larvae of British Beetles V: Elateridae | Ent. Mon. Mag. 81: 13-37. |
ELATERIDAE (click beetles) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:
 NBN (data.nbn.org.uk)
has a distribution map for ELATERIDAE (click beetles)
|
 BioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk)
has 55 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for ELATERIDAE (click beetles)
|
The click beetles are a family of small to medium sized beetles of similar shape. Most species are brown to black, but some have red or orange elytra (especially the genus "Ampedus" which contains several rare species). A few have metallic reflections. Click beetles are so-called because, when disturbed, they typically fling themselves into the air by means of a clicking mechanism involving a peg on the underside of the first thoracic segment and a socket on the second.
The larvae (wireworms) live in soil or rotting wood. Several species are associated with veteran trees and restricted to sites with a history of ecological continuity.
The degree of serration or pectination of the antenna is important for identification. This is not a problem with card-mounted beetles, but pinned specimens must be held at such an angle that the segments are flat.
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