Agrypninae Campyloxeninae Cardiophorinae Dendrometrinae Elaterinae Eudicronychinae Hemiopinae Lissominae Morostomatinae Negastriinae Oestodinae Omalisinae[1] Parablacinae Physodactylinae Pityobiinae Plastocerinae Subprotelaterinae Tetralobinae Thylacosterninae Ampedidae Campylidae Cavicoxumidae Ludiidae Monocrepidiidae Pangauridae Phyllophoridae Plastoceridae Prosternidae Pyrophoridae Synaptidae Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family of beetles.

[8] The ninth segment, the rearmost, is pointed in larvae of Agriotes, Dalopius and Melanotus, but is bifid due to a so-called caudal notch in Selatosomus (formerly Ctenicera), Limonius, Hypnoides and Athous species.

[10][11] The subterranean habits of wireworms, their ability to quickly locate food by following carbon dioxide gradients produced by plant material in the soil,[12] and their remarkable ability to recover from illness induced by insecticide exposure (sometimes after many months),[13] make it hard to exterminate them once they have begun to attack a crop.

Other subterranean creatures such as the leatherjacket grub of crane flies which have no legs, and geophilid centipedes, which may have over two hundred, are sometimes confused with the six-legged wireworms.

Authority: Fleutiaux, 1920 On the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures website: