Click Beetle vs Tatra Mountain Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Click Beetle Tatra Mountain Beetle
Scientific Name Alaus oculatus Nebria tatrica
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Elateridae Carabidae
Size 25-45 mm 10-13 mm
Habitat Underground Mountains
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions North America Tatra Mountains, Slovakia, Poland
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

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.

Tatra Mountain Beetle

An endemic ground beetle found only in the Tatra Mountains. It lives under stones in alpine scree at the highest elevations.

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Did You Know?

Its extremely limited range makes it one of the rarest ground beetles in Europe.