Wednesday, February 12, 2014

The beetle that tells secrets, fortune

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog 
 Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 
738 KHz DZRB AM Band, 8-9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Click Beetle (Kuddo, Ilk) - Melanotus fissilis, Family Elateridae, Order Coleoptera. 

It is the adult of wireworm, a common pest of crops. Click beetles are "hard shelled," brownish to nearly black, and "streamlined." The head and thorax fit closely against the wing covers, which protect the back of the abdomen. The joint just in front of the wing covers is loose and flexible. When the insect happens to fall on its back, it flips with a clicking sound for which it got its name - click beetle, snapping beetle, or skipjack. When held between fingers, the insect tries to escape by clicking repeatedly. The number of clicks is often a reference of jokes, like number of girlfriends, winning in a contest, and the like.

Sweet memories bring a wit long laid -
     when I was a child I played
your game of click-click-click,
     telling me if life’s bright or bleak.

I asked how many friends or money I had,
     by clicking, I knew what you said;
and pressing your breast, my wish implied;
     all I wanted, you complied. ~


Living with Nature, AVRotor; Acknowledgment, photo adapted from www.naturephoto.cz, (Dalopius marginatus) by Pavel Krasensky

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