Subject:  I can’t find this on inaturalist
Geographic location of the bug:  Arizona/Sonoran border
Date: 07/27/2019
Time: 01:09 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  @ Coronado after a couple of rains.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/29543844
About 2inches long.Can Fly
BTW, how come I can’t sign in no more?
How you want your letter signed: ptosis

Apache Click Beetle

Dear ptosis,
This gorgeous beetle is an Apache Click Beetle, Chalcolepidius apacheanus, which we identified on BugGuide.  When we posted images of this strikingly beautiful beetle long ago, we pondered the lack of a common name on BugGuide at the time, and we proposed Apache Click Beetle as the common name based on its existing scientific name.  We don’t understand your question:  “BTW, how come I can’t sign in no more?”  Please clarify.

Apache Click Beetle

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Subject:  Beetle or Roach?!
Geographic location of the bug:  Stratford, NJ (south NJ)
Date: 07/21/2019
Time: 11:14 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hello!
My wife and I just moved into a house and immediately saw a single, dying roach. We saw other, similar looking bugs but our exterminator has told us (through email) that they are ground beetles. I don’t entirely trust him, as his company supposedly will come back “for free if needed.” What do you think? I sent three different bugs on different occasions that I’ve seen. Thanks in advanced!
How you want your letter signed:  Tom W

Click Beetle

Dear Tom,
This is a Click Beetle in the family Elateridae, but we do not know the species, and it poses no threat to your home or its residents.  Many Click Beetles accidentally enter the home when they are attracted to lights.

Thanks Daniel! Really appreciate you taking the time to get back to me. Have a great day!
Best,
Tom Wexler

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Subject:  Flying bug
Geographic location of the bug:  New Milford, CT
Date: 06/09/2019
Time: 01:10 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This big guy flew into me as I was walking by and clung to my shirt. I brushed him off and I may have killed him!
How you want your letter signed:  Jackie

Eyed Elater

Dear Jackie,
The Eyed Elater is harmless.  It is the largest Click Beetle in North America.

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Subject:  Bug with cool “fake” eyes
Geographic location of the bug:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: 06/04/2019
Time: 11:21 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Dear Bugman,
This bug has been hanging out on the drop ceiling in my office going on two days now. From a distance I assumed it would be a roach, but was pleasantly surprised on closer inspection. This bug is about 5 cm long.
How you want your letter signed:  Curious Veterinarian

Eyed Elater

Dear Curious Veterinarian,
The Eyed Elater, the largest Click Beetle in North America, has very effective protective mimicry.  The false eyespots on the Eyed Elater are thought to deter predators like birds that will pass up a nutritious meal after perceiving that it might be a predator like a snake rather than a tasty morsel.

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Subject:  What is this
Geographic location of the bug:  Winston Salem NC
Date: 05/12/2019
Time: 03:43 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Please tell me what big this is
How you want your letter signed:  Nancy Tuttle

Eyed Elater

Dear Nancy,
We are very excited that your query is allowing us to post our first image of an Eyed Elater this year.  The Eyed Elater is a species of Click Beetle, a family that includes many members that are able to right themselves if they find themselves on their backs by snapping the body and propelling the insect into the air, inevitably landing on its feet while producing an audible clicking sound.  The false eyes provide excellent protective mimicry by discouraging predators who might sense a larger creature with large eyes that might try eating the predator.

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Subject:  Beetle in Northern Ghana
Geographic location of the bug:  Tomale, Ghana Africa (Northern Ghana)
Date: 03/30/2019
Time: 12:17 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  My sister is in the Peace Corps in Northern Ghana, and woke up to this beetle crawling on her in the early morning hours. She is not sure what it is, and we can’t seem to find anything online. Can you help us identify it?
How you want your letter signed:  Sister in the States

Click Beetle

Dear Sister in the States,
This is a Click Beetle in the family Elateridae, and its antennae are quite distinctive.  It looks very similar to this Click Beetle from Uganda that we posted many years ago.

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