Click beetles have a built-in spine and groove system that helps them escape predators by flipping themselves in the air while making a loud clicking noise (some day I’ll turn one over and get a good picture, but the BugLady has one here).
Elateridae family beetles are fairly easy to identify after you’ve seen a few, because that jointed section makes their thorax end in an “m” shape, with often pointy “shoulders.” Before this year, I’ve only seen brown and black click beetles of various sizes. In the past two months, though, I’ve seen two with nearly opposite patterns of orange-red and black.
The first photo is a beetle in the Ampedus genus and the second is in the Megapenthes genus. Many questions come to mind. I understand insects evolved to thrive in conjunction with specific plants and habitats, so it makes sense there are thousands of very similar types. But why would having red in one location or another on your body make you more successful? Does each beetle mimic another bug in its niche? What do they think when they see each other?
This is one of the smaller Western Ash Borers (WABs) that I introduced a couple of weeks ago. I include it here because I found this individual yesterday:
When I saw this little beetle, I couldn’t remember the precise pattern of the WAB, but I was still pretty sure it wasn’t the same species. This beetle isn’t as furry, for one thing, but its markings are also different. The folks at BugGuide are looking at the Clytus genus, but I don’t have an identification yet.
Here’s a lesson from these encounters: It’s always worth it to stop and look closer at an insect even if you’re nearly sure it’s one you’ve seen dozens of times before. Chances are, a few of those inspections will yield something that’s new to you.
Stay curious!
Ticklehead 
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