I'm always on the lookout for one of my favorite "fakes": an insect known as the Eyed Click Beetle. Alaus oculatus is a remarkable critter for two reasons, one of which is fairly obscure and the other, of course, immediately obvious. The "click" part comes from this two-inch-long beetle's ability, when placed on its back, to flip itself to the proper position rapidly and with an audible click when it lands back on its feet. This skill confuses potential predators and gives the members of the beetle family Elateridae an opportunity to escape doom. But it's those amazing eyespots that help the insect avoid predators in the first place. The fakery tells any critter bent on mischief: BACK OFF! Fortunately for me, I wasn't intimidated and wound up with nice closeup shots. The beetle, for its part, took the interruption of its day in stride, eventually moving from my finger to my woodpile and then, to the woods to eye its way to Elaterid success.