I was in my backyard the other day and I happened upon this very interesting little guy. It was on the roof of my shed just about at eye level. I'd say it was a tad bit bigger than an inch long; big enough to make me not want to bug it, but small enough, and so well camouflaged that it could have gone completely unnoticed.
So I googled it and came up with some facts.
- It is commonly known as the Eyed Elator, Big-eyed Elater or Eyed Click Beetle.
- It is a beneficial insect, meaning it's a good one to find in your yard or garden.
- Larva measure up to 2 inches while adults are around 1 1/2 inches.
- In the larval stage, they are "ferocious meat-eaters that dine on many other noxious wood-boring larvae, including those of wood-boring beetles." Yum!
I wonder what I'll find next.