Eyed Click Beetle, Yannatos

Nature can sometimes be startling. Indeed, sometimes nature is designed to be startling. And if you ever needed proof of that notion, well, consider the Eyed Click Beetle I spotted on a tree near the millpond. Alaus oculatus is a fairly uncommon but always memorable member of the beetle family Elateridae whose member are united in their ability to make a clicking noise by snapping a device on the underside of their thorax and thus propelling themselves quickly into the the air... and out of harm's way. But I don't know of any other local elaterids that have evolved a startling deception that might prevent predation in the first place. A. oculatus is about two inches long, so a fairly substantial beetle—and a pretty substantial meal. But to avoid being bothered, it carries those two huge "eyes" on its thorax, perhaps evolved to tell any critter bent on doing harm: "I'm watching you... back off. Or else." What is undefined, but the threat seems to have done the job for eons. And when it fails, there's always the noisy getaway.