Asparagus Beetle vs Click Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Asparagus Beetle Click Beetle
Scientific Name Crioceris asparagi Alaus oculatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Elateridae
Size 5-7 mm 25-45 mm
Habitat Farmland Underground
Diet Herbivores Predators
Regions North America, Europe North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Asparagus Beetle

A colorful blue-black beetle with cream spots and a red thorax that feeds exclusively on asparagus. Both adults and larvae can defoliate asparagus plants.

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Did You Know?

A tiny parasitoid wasp, Tetrastichus asparagi, lays its eggs inside asparagus beetle eggs to control populations naturally.

Click Beetle

Has a special mechanism that allows it to snap its body with a click, launching itself up to 30 cm into the air. The large eyespots on its thorax startle predators.

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Did You Know?

Click beetles launch themselves into the air without using their legs — they use a peg-and-groove mechanism on their thorax that releases like a spring, reaching accelerations of 400g.