Click beetle (rice pound beetle) - Click beetle (English spelling)

Japanese: コメツキムシ(米搗虫∥叩頭虫) - コメツキムシ（英語表記）click beetle

A general term for insects belonging to the beetle order Elateridae family. Their body shape is boat-shaped with a sharp posterior corner of the prothorax. When placed ventral side up, they bend their head and thorax downwards as if arching backwards, forming a U shape, then they quickly raise their head and thorax, recoiling and jumping, placing their ventral side down. As they do this, a snapping sound is made when the thorn-like protrusions on the ventral surface of the prothorax are received in the concave part of the mesothorax. The name click beetle comes from the resemblance of the movement and sound to pounding rice. When they sense danger, they press their legs tightly against their body and tuck their antennae into the grooves under the prothorax, remaining still.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

甲虫目コメツキムシ科Elateridaeに属する昆虫の総称。体型は舟型で前胸の後縁角がとがる。腹面を上にして置くと，頭と胸をのけぞるように下へ曲げて〈へ〉の字型となり，すばやく頭と胸を起こす反動で跳びはねて腹面を下にする。この動作で前胸の腹面にあるとげ状の突起が中胸にあるくぼんだ部分で受けとめられるときパチンと音がする。コメツキムシの名も動作と音が米つきに似ることに由来する。危険を感ずると肢を体にぴったりとつけ，触角も前胸の下の溝にしまってじっとしている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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