Genus Scaptolenus - Rain Click Beetles

Classification · Numbers · Identification · Range · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Texas Rain Click Beetle - Scaptolenus - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Elateroidea (Click, Firefly and Soldier Beetles)

Family Elateridae (Click Beetles)

Subfamily Cebrioninae

Genus Scaptolenus (Rain Click Beetles)

Numbers

5 spp. (1)

Identification

Key to spp. Horn (1881)

Range

TX & AZ (1)

Life Cycle

Males swarm during rainstorms. In eastern and southern Texas this swarming period is always late in the year, Oct-Dec. These are likely mating swarms, but I have never found a female, and it is likely that females do not fly and probably leave the soil only very briefly to attract a mate. (Ed Riley, pers. comm.)

Remarks

Females are unknown.

Print References

Horn, G.H. 1881. Notes on Elateridae, Cebrionidae, Rhipiceridae and Dascyllidae. Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc., 9: 76-90.

Turnbow, R.H., Jr. & J.E. Wappes 1977. Note on a flight by males of Scaptolenus ochraetus Horn. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 31(4): 346.

Werner, F.G. 1969. Two flights of Scaptolenus (Coleoptera: Cebrionidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin, 23(1): 26-27.

Internet References

Factsheet & Map - Texas Entomology

Works Cited

1.	American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea By Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.)

Contributed by tom murray on 28 January, 2008 - 7:08pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn
Last updated 28 February, 2009 - 8:38pm

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