Summary ⁶

Alaus oculatus is a species of click beetle. It is 25–45 millimetres (1.0–1.8 in) in length. It is found in Central and North America. Their diet consists of nectar and plant juice. The larva's diet consists of grubs and wood-boring beetles.

Morphology ⁷

Adults reach a length of 24-45 mm . The adult beetle is long and thin (Arnett, et al 1980). Alaus oculatus has distinctive eyespots that cover about one third the length of the pronotum. These large white spots are a distinctive coloration pattern that make the beetle appear to have large eyes on its back, affording it a little extra protection from predators who may be startled at the sight of seemingly threatening "eyes" (Woodruff 1999). The beetles are covered in minute scales that function well as protective coloration (Encarta 1999).

Larva of Alaus oculatus are slender and are up to 2 inches long, hard-shelled, yellowish to dark brown, and jointed (Nielson 1997). The larva have dark heads and appear segmented. They have three pairs of legs. The last four segments are dark brown and the 9th segment has what appear to be pronged teeth, while the 10th segment has two anal hooks, 10-12 spines, and seta (Woodruff 1999).

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Habitat ⁸

Beetles are found around deciduous woods and in areas with many hardwood trees, such as cherry, apple, or oak, especially in areas with a lot of rotting logs (Milne and Milne 1995).

Terrestrial Biomes: forest

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Eric, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/17842909@N00/477316556
2. (c) Patrick Coin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/4832134493_a0e2242a2f.jpg
3. (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/7128448815_127bd01181_o.jpg
4. (c) cyric, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by cyric
5. (c) Summit Metro Parks, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Summit Metro Parks
6. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaus_oculatus
7. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31375605
8. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31375604

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• CalPhotos
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0

Range Map

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