Danosoma brevicornis

Danosoma brevicornis is a species of click beetle. This particular species can be as long as 16 mm and prefers to live in boreomontane forests. All click beetles possess a prosternal spine that fits into a groove on the mesosternum. If a click beetle is flipped onto its back, it can bend its head and thorax backward and quickly straighten its body. This action causes the spine to snap into the mesosternal groove which throws the beetle into the air while producing an audible clicking noise. This process is performed multiple times until it eventually lands upright.

Order: Coleoptera
Family: Elateridae
Species: Danosoma brevicornis

Photograph: © 2012 RKD Peterson
Date of Photograph: 7 April 2012
Gallatin Co., Montana