THE INSECTS OF NEW JERSEY. 
283 
CEROPHYTUM Latr. 
C. pulsator Hald. Fort Lee, 1 specimen (Sf). 
Family ELATERIDtE. 
The species belonging to this family are commonly known as “click,” 
“snapping” or “spring beetles,” because of their power of springing into 
the air when laid on their back and turning right-side-up in the process. 
The prothorax is long, loosely jointed to the meso-thorax, prolonged back¬ 
ward on the under side into a curved process, which fits into a groove or 
cavity in the meso-thorax. When placed on its back the beetle elevates 
the body until it rests on the head and tip of elytra, and the end of the 
spine rests at the edge of the cavity. 
The tension is then suddenly removed 
and the curvature reversed, the shoulders 
of the wing-covers striking the surface 
hard enough to elevate the beetle for 
quite a distance. In general the insects 
are at least three times as long as wide, 
broadest at the shoulders and tapering 
posteriorly. The prevailing colors are 
brown, black or yellowish, and few of 
our species are spotted or banded. As 
adults they rarely do much feeding and 
are not injurious. The larvae are long, 
slender, a little flattened, yellowish or 
whitish, and very tough or leathery in 
texture, whence they are termed “wire- 
worms.” Some of these live in decaying 
wood and are practically harmless, but 
others live in the soil, feeding on the 
roots of growing plants, chiefly grasses. 
Fig. 108.—A click-beetle, or snap¬ 
ping beetle; enlarged. 
Corn, potatoes and other crops following sod are chiefly injured, and when 
the pests are very abundant little can be done to stop them. Ordinary 
insecticide applications are entirely useless, because it is practically im¬ 
possible to reach the insects where they are feeding. Systematic fall plow¬ 
ing of sod land is useful, because it destroys the pupae and recently de¬ 
veloped beetles, and this, combined with short periods in sod, serves to 
lessen the evil. Chickens eat the insects when turned up by the plow, 
and hogs take them greedily when they can get at them. In the garden 
they can be attracted to cut pieces of potato, which may be gathered and 
destroyed when filled with the insects. They have also been baited with 
little masses of poisoned sweet dough placed underground, but that is 
only attractive while fresh. 
