Eyed Elaters (Alaus)

eyed elater click beetles, like this Alaus oculatus from Florida, are the biggest click beetles (Elateridae) found in temperate North America.

Click beetles are best known for their eponymous clicking ability- a sort of elastic locking mechanism on their thorax can snap open with a loud clicking sound, which helps them startle or escape the grasp of predators and allows them to launch themselves into the air when overturned (you can see that in slow motion at the end of the video)

(more elating click beetle trivia below!)

They live around decaying trees and logs, the adults feeding on sap flows and other sugary liquids while the predatory grubs use their powerful jaws to tunnel in search of other wood-dwelling insect larvae to devour (by contrast many smaller click beetle larvae, often called wireworms, feed on rotting wood itself or other plant matter). To rear these beetles in captivity it’s necessary to keep the larvae in containers made of a hard material like glass, as they’ll chew through plastic and escape (I learned this the hard way the first time I found and attempted to raise a grub).

There are 6 Alaus species in the US, the largest of which can be over 5 cm long. Two are found in forests along the east coast- A. oculatus, the eastern eyed elater (below, left) and its smaller relative A. myops, the blind elater (right).

Even though the larvae don't feed directly on decaying wood, different Alaus species prefer different trees- oculatus breeds in dead oaks and other hardwoods, while myops found in the same habitats only use well-rotted pines.

Animal of the Day!

Great Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx haastii)

(Photo by Max De Beer)

Conservation Status- Vulnerable

Habitat- Northern South Island of New Zealand

Size (Weight/Length)- 3 kg; 50 cm

Diet- Insects; Worms; Crayfish

Cool Facts- Kiwi’s got the shortest evolutionary stick. The great spotted kiwi is the largest kiwi species. These flightless birds are nocturnal and spend their days sleeping in burrows. Monogamous pairs are aggressive to other kiwi’s and humans alike, attempting to chase them away from burrows. If you thought human pregnancy was difficult, a female great spotted kiwi would laugh in your face. The egg makes up a fourth of a female’s body weight. The female has to survive on fat reserves as she does not eat the entire five month gestation period. As soon as the egg is laid, the male takes over the incubation process. Once the chick hatches, the parents leave it to fend for itself with no regrets. Invasive predators in a mix with habitat destruction have dropped the great spotted kiwi population by 45% in half a century.

Rating- 13/10 (The fruit was named after the bird.)

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Moth Of The Day #115

Magpie Moth

Nyctmera annulata

From the erebidae family. They have a wingspan of 35-50 mm. They tend to inhabit northern heather moorland but also fairly frequent in garden, allotments, hedgerows and woodland. They can be found mainly in New Zealand.