A click beetle, also known as Elateridae, can snap the front and back sections of its body together to make a clicking sound, and it can also use this motion to flip itself over if it gets stuck on its back. Click beetles are black or dark brown, and they have grooved sections running down their backs.  An adult click beetle may be between 0.5 to 1.5 in (1.3 to 3.8 cm) long. This beetle is common all over the world and there are over 900 species of click beetles in North America alone. Ground beetles are black with grooves on their backs, and they produce a strong odor. They usually hang out under logs and leaves, but they may wander into your house through a crack or open window. These beetles move quickly, so it might be hard to get a close look. Keep in mind that these beetle are harmless. They eat other insects, but will not bite you or your pets. These are called longhorn beetles because their antennae are reminiscent of longhorn cattle. The antennae may be straight, curved, or half and half.  Longhorn beetle coloring can range from black, brown, green, yellow, red, or a combination of these colors. There are 413 species of longhorn beetles in Texas alone, but they all share the distinguishing feature of long antennae. If the beetle has a rounded head with a scoop neck shape around the base of it, then it is most likely a mealworm. Despite the name, these are actually beetles. Mealworms usually live outdoors, but you may find them infesting containers of flour and other dried grains. Keep your grains in air-tight containers to prevent an infestation. If you look closely at an oldhouse borer, you may notice small gray hairs on its back. You may also be able to make out 3 dark eyes on each side of the beetle’s mouth. These beetles usually turn up in a house about 4 to 7 years after it has been built.
Identify a click beetle by a narrow, long body and a clicking sound. Watch for a fast moving beetle with a strong smell to spot a ground beetle. Check for longhorn beetles with long-antennae hanging out around dead trees. Inspect the head of the beetle for a scoop shape to see if it’s a mealworm. Identify an oldhouse borer by white spots on its wings and enlarged leg segments.