Click Beetle
Pyrophorus noctilucus
The "Click" Mechanism
Like all click beetles, it has a spring-loaded peg on its underside. If flipped on its back, it can "snap" this peg to launch itself several inches into the air with a loud "click," often while glowing brightly to startle the attacker.
Bioluminescent Intensity
Their light is the brightest of any insect. Historically, indigenous people in the Amazon would catch these beetles and place them in perforated gourds to use as lanterns for night travel.
Thermal Efficiency
Their light is "cold light." Because the chemical reaction is so efficient, very little of the energy is lost as heat, allowing the beetle to stay cool.
Field notes
| Range | Tropical Americas |
|---|---|
| Lifespan | 1 to 2 years |
| Size | 20 mm to 40 mm |
| Weight | Approximately 0.4 g to 0.6 g |
| Colour | Dark Brown (Body) / Lime Green & Orange |
| Diet | Nectar/Pollen (Adults) / Soil Invertebrates (Larvae) |
| Family | A member of the Elateridae family (Click Beetles) |
In the book
The Click Beetle is number 98 of the 101 creatures in Glowing Bugs. Its two pages show it from three sides, at its true size, with a map of where it lives. The plate is an artistic interpretation and does not show the true colours of the living animal.
