Eyed Click Beetle

Alaus oculatus, Negri-Nepote-Leni Preserve, Somerset County, New Jersey, 2007-06-17

You can’t always ID beetles down to the species level with the naked eye, but this one’s very distinctive, and we had them around my house in Metairie, Louisiana when I was growing up.

The big “eyes” aren’t really eyes, just spots on its hinds parts. Likely they either make predators think this beetle’s bigger than it is, or get them to attack the wrong end.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 18th, 2007 at 5:32 AM and is filed under Birding, Bugs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the Atom feed. You can make a comment, Digg this story, or trackback from your own site.