Posternon bombycinum

Posternon bombycinum is a species of click beetle. 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: Posternon bombycinum

Photograph: © 2017 RKD Peterson
Date of Photograph: 28 May 2017
Location: Montana, Gallatin Co. (45^o27'11" N 111^o14'38" W)