Alaus oculatus, commonly called the eastern eyed click beetle or eyed elater, is a species of click beetle.
Description
Alaus oculatus can reach a length of about .
They have an elongated body, black in color throughout. The
pronotum exhibits a large oval patch of darker scales, framed in white, on each side - the common name of the beetle derives from this feature. The
elytron are striated and mottled with silvery whitish scales.
Life cycle
Eggs are laid in soil or on standing deadwood. Many larvae from the click beetle family Elateridae are commonly referred to as wireworms and are prominent agricultural pests that feast on plant matter. However, the larvae of Alaus oculatus are unique among wireworms because they are predatory to other beetle larvae feeding in decaying wood, especially Cerambycidae.[Borror, D., R. White. 1970. Peterson Field Guides. Insects. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.]
Diet
The adults do not eat much but their diet consists of nectar and plant juice. The larvae diet consists of grubs of wood-boring beetles.[ The larvae are voracious on wood borers, and during their development caged specimens were observed to devour more than 200 cerambycid larvae each.][Craighead FC. 1950. Insect Enemies of Eastern Forests. U.S. Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication 657: 1- 679.]
Distribution and habitat
This species is present in Central America and North America.[ It can be found in deciduous/mixed forests and woodlands.][
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