Common brown click beetle - Clearwater, BC.

Possibly Athous haemorrhoidalis - a native of Europe now established in parts of BC

I have always enjoyed finding click beetles.  They are small, harmless, and have a fascinating display when they are turned upside down - they flick themselves into the air with an audible "click."  

The larvae of click beetles are wireworms.  Like all beetle larvae, they are grubs.  These look similar to ground beetle larvae but without the front jaws, and they have a curled end to their abdomen.  You can find examples of the adult and larval forms here.

The click beetle adults themselves are not a problem.  It's the wireworm larvae that cause damage.  They are soil-dwelling grubs that feed on the seeds, roots, and tubers of plants.  Many of them are pests of crops, especially on the prairies.  I have wireworm damage in my vegetable garden, where my potatoes and carrots have holes drilled in them.  If you want to see an example of wireworm damage in root crops, click here.

I used to think that such damage was caused by earthworms or possibly fly larvae.  It turns out I was wrong.  The likely culprits are wireworms.  The larvae of click beetles may be pests, but I still think the adults are cool.  

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com