This past Saturday I spotted this unusual insect—an Eastern Eyed Click Beetle (Alaus oculatus)—while I was exploring in Prince William County. The large eye spots on its thorax are a kind of defensive adaption designed to confuse or frighten potential predators into thinking the beetle is much larger than it really. In addition to the distinctive eye spots, the beetle has some really cool looking antennae that you can see more clearly if you click on the image to enlarge it.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Love seeing this click beetle in the large view, very incredible! It makes me laugh and yet it’s also really beautiful! 😀
I can definitely see why you would laugh, Liz. When I try to image the eye spots as eyes, I see a face with an impish little grin. 🙂
Very well camouflaged!
If the beetle had not been at eye level on the tree at the edge of the trail I was following, I probably would not have noticed it.
Those “eyes” would make me think twice. Great photo!
Thanks, Dan. If you are a beetle, it’s a win if you can confuse or deter a potential predator.
I don’t believe I have encountered one of these chaps. I love all of the detail in your portrait of it and all of the visual texture.
Thanks, Laura. The colors of the image are pretty muted, but, as you noted, there was plenty of texture and patterns.
The more we observe Nature, the more incredible are our findings.
Great photograph, Mike!
Thanks, Wally. I had never seen one of these beetles before, but its physical appearance made it easy to find in a Google search. You are absolutely right about seeing more things that more that I observe nature.
Aren’t they fun!
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I’ve always wanted to see/photograph one of these so good for you, Mike. They do have an unusual and attractive appearance. Scary in a way that helps them survive.
It was a treat for me to see one of these, Steve, since I did not even know that they existed previously. 🙂
That is one Cool looking bug Mike! Enjoyed seeing your image!
When I first spotted this beetle, I had no idea what it was, but I knew that I wanted to photograph it. In my view, it is a waste of time to worry about identification of subjects when out in the field–there is time enough to do that later on the computer.
Thanks for sharing this. I am a huge fan of beetles. I have researched information on quite a number of beetles, but didn’t know a thing about this one. I did a quick look and learned that it’s called the “Click beetle” because of a sound that it makes. When threatened, it would plop on its back and play dead. After its predator passes, the click beetle would generate a huge sound by “by snapping the first section of its thorax in the second section of the thorax.” This is what makes the “clicking” sound. Producing this sound actually helps them get back on their feet and go their merry way.
Another fact I’ve found is that adult click beetles don’t eat much but do snack on the larvae of wood-boring beetles.
I’ve attached a link that provides more facts about beetles on a whole, nothing specific to the Eastern Eyed Click Beetle. Thanks for sharing this image, Mike. Appreciate it. https://thebugagenda.com/interesting-facts-about-beetles/
Thanks for all of that information. I think that I have a pretty diverse group of viewers, with varying levels of interest in the scientific details. I am by nature a curious person, so I am quite intrigued to learn more about the subjects that I photograph.
Slick!
A slick click–I like it. 🙂