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Glite Dictionary
elater

elater

9.9
A beetle that makes a strong click to flip itself upright
  • noun
  • /ɪˈleɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : eléctrico
  • The elater can right itself by snapping its body with an audible click.

Examples

  • Many crops are threatened by elater larvae, which are also known as wireworms.

  • In the woods, we found an elater flipping onto its feet using its unique mechanism.

  • I found an elater in the garden.

  • Did you see the elater fly away?

  • In the garden, we observed an elater landing gracefully after using its clicking mechanism to right itself.

  • The farmer was worried about the elater larvae damaging his potato crop, as they burrow into the soil.

  • As the sun set, we noticed an elater easily flipping back onto its feet with a distinct click.

Synonyms

click beetle
vselater
1 7.6

A beetle that snaps its body to flip into the air and make a quick clicking sound

is the family term that names these beetles, not just the flipping action
elaterid beetle
vselater
  • Specialized
9.7

A long beetle that makes a loud click to flip itself upright

focuses on their clicking mechanism used to flip and right themselves
elaterid
vselater
  • Specialized
9.9

A beetle like a click beetle that makes a sharp click to flip and jump

stresses the same clicking trait rather than geographic distribution

Surface Forms

elater singular
elaters plural

Etymology

Elater comes from the Greek elatēr, which means 'to drive' or 'to spring'. So think of a spring: these beetles snap with a loud click and 'spring' into the air to flip themselves onto their feet, which is why they are called elater and are commonly known as click beetles.