Editing Click beetle (section)

{{short description|Family of beetles}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Click beetles
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Triassic|Recent}}
| image = ElateridAdLarvae.jpg
| image_caption = Click beetle adults and larvae (wireworms)<br/>Left: [[Wheat wireworm]] (''[[Agriotes mancus]]'')<br/>Right: [[Sand wireworm]] (''[[Horistonotus uhlerii]]'')
| display_parents = 3
| taxon = Elateridae
| authority = [[William Elford Leach|Leach]], 1815
| subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
| subdivision_ref = <ref>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}}</ref>
| subdivision = [[Agrypninae]]<br/>
[[Campyloxeninae]]<br/>
[[Cardiophorinae]]<br/>
[[Dendrometrinae]]<br/>
[[Elaterinae]]<br/>
[[Eudicronychinae]]<br/>
[[Hemiopinae]]<br/>
[[Lissominae]]<br/>
[[Morostomatinae]]<br/>
[[Negastriinae]]<br/>
[[Oestodinae]]<br/>
[[Omalisinae]]<ref name="kusy2018b">{{cite journal | last1=Kusy | first1=Dominik | last2=Motyka | first2=Michal | last3=Bocek | first3=Matej | last4=Vogler | first4=Alfried P. | last5=Bocak | first5=Ladislav | title=Genome sequences identify three families of Coleoptera as morphologically derived click beetles (Elateridae) | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=8 | issue=1 | date=2018-11-20 | page=17084 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/s41598-018-35328-0 | pmid=30459416 | pmc=6244081 | bibcode=2018NatSR...817084K | doi-access=free }}</ref><br/>
[[Parablacinae]]<br/>
[[Physodactylinae]]<br/>
[[Pityobiinae]]<br/>
[[Plastocerinae]]<br/>
[[Semiotinae]]<br/>
[[Subprotelaterinae]]<br/>
[[Tetralobinae]]<br/>
[[Thylacosterninae]]
| synonyms = Ampedidae<br/>
Campylidae<br/>
Cavicoxumidae<br/>
Ludiidae<br/>
Monocrepidiidae<br/>
Pangauridae<br/>
Phyllophoridae<br/>
Plastoceridae<br/>
Prosternidae<br/>
Pyrophoridae<br/>
Synaptidae
}}
[[File:Ampedus nigricollis.jpg|thumb|''[[Ampedus nigricollis]]'']]
[[File:Melanotus leonardi.jpg|thumb|''[[Melanotus leonardi]]'']]
[[File:Elateridae - kanagawa - 2024 may 14.ogv|thumb|Click beetle in [[Japan]]]]
[[File:Click beetle.jpg|thumb|''[[Alaus oculatus]]'' 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 (biology)|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 distribution|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.<ref>{{cite AV media |year=2015 |title=How the click beetle jumps from the back !|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vew2nzaLerY  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Vew2nzaLerY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=3 December 2015 |publisher=Myrmecofourmis.fr on Youtube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The evolutionary purpose of this click is debated: hypotheses include that the clicking noise deters predators or is used for communication, or that the click may allow the beetle to "pop" out of the subtrate in which it is pupating.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Bolmin |first=Ophelia |last2=Wei |first2=Lihua |last3=Hazel |first3=Alexander M. |last4=Dunn |first4=Alison C. |last5=Wissa |first5=Aimy |last6=Alleyne |first6=Marianne |date=2019-06-17 |title=Latching of the click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) thoracic hinge enabled by the morphology and mechanics of conformal structures |url=https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/222/12/jeb196683/20388/Latching-of-the-click-beetle-Coleoptera-Elateridae |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=222 |issue=12 |pages=jeb196683 |doi=10.1242/jeb.196683 |issn=0022-0949}}</ref> It is unlikely that the click is used for avoiding predators as it does not carry the beetle very far (<50cm), and in practice click beetles usually play dead or flee normally.<ref name=":0" /> There are about 9300 known species worldwide,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Schneider, M. C. |year=2006 |title=Evolutionary chromosomal differentiation among four species of ''Conoderus'' Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Agrypninae, Conoderini) detected by standard staining, C-banding, silver nitrate impregnation, and CMA<sub>3</sub>/DA/DAPI staining |journal=[[Genetica]] |volume=128 |issue=1–3 |pages=333–346 |pmid=17028962 |doi=10.1007/s10709-006-7101-5|s2cid=1901849 |display-authors=etal}}</ref> and 965 valid species in North America.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Majka, C. G.  |author2=P. J. Johnson |year=2008 |title=The Elateridae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: faunal composition, new records, and taxonomic changes |journal=[[Zootaxa]] |volume=1811 |pages=1–33 |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/z01811p033f.pdf |format=[[Portable Document Format|PDF]] excerpt|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.1811.1.1 }}</ref>