Black-tailed Click Beetle vs Fire Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black-tailed Click Beetle Fire Beetle
Scientific Name Ampedus nigrinus Pyrophorus divergens
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Elateridae Elateridae
Size 8-11 mm 20-30 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Central America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black-tailed Click Beetle

A dark-bodied click beetle with subtly reddish-brown elytra and a shiny black pronotum. It inhabits old-growth forests and depends on decaying hardwood for larval development.

💡

Did You Know?

This species is used as an indicator of old-growth forest quality in Scandinavian conservation assessments.

Fire Beetle

A bioluminescent click beetle from Central American forests. Its glowing thoracic spots are visible from several meters away in total darkness.

💡

Did You Know?

Spanish conquistadors reported seeing forests glowing with thousands of these beetles and initially thought they were supernatural phenomena.