Often found under bark on logs or on foliage as well. larva is called wireworms that occur in soil or rotting wood. Most click beetles feed on roots, tubers or seeds and a few species are occasional pests of sprouting grass seeds or roots. Some species are predatory on other larval insects or feed on fungi

Adults are active in the afternoon and evening often coming to lights at night. The life cycle varies from one to three years depending on the species. They are also known as skipjacks or jackknife beetles as a result of their acrobatic behavior. An individual can snap a spine like process into a groove on its chest with enough force to propel it into the air. This may startle a predator into dropping the beetle. This beetle is in the subfamily Prosterninae.