Which beetle family comprises the click beetles?

• A. Scarabaeidae
• B. Passalidae
• C. Buprestidae
• D. Elateridae

Answer: (D)

Click beetles earn their name from a specialized mechanism that lets them snap upright and flip into the air. They have a spine on the underside of the thorax that fits into a groove in the thorax, and when released it creates a quick, forceful motion—the “click” that also helps them right themselves. This distinctive feature is diagnostic of the beetle family Elateridae, making it the correct group for click beetles. The other families listed are defined by different traits—Scarabaeidae are typical dung or scarab beetles with lamellate antennae, Buprestidae are the metallic wood-borers, and Passalidae are bess beetles often living in rotting wood—none share the click mechanism that defines Elateridae.