''Balgus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of Central American

click beetle Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family (biology), family of beetles. Other names include elaters, sna ...

(family

Elateridae Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family of beetles. Other names include elaters, snapping beetles, sp ...

). They are one of several genera in the family which contain at least one

bioluminescent Bioluminescence is the emission of light during a chemiluminescence reaction by living organisms. Bioluminescence occurs in multifarious organisms ranging from marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms inc ...

species. The genus was originally placed in the family

Eucnemidae Eucnemidae, or false click beetles, are a family of elateroid beetles based on the type genus '' Eucnemis''; they include about 1700 species, distributed worldwide. Description Closely related to the family Elateridae, specimens of Eucnemida ...

, later transferred to

Throscidae Throscidae is a family of elateroid beetles found worldwide (except New Zealand) with around 150 species in 5 extant genera. The larvae are soil-dwelling, siphoning fluid from mycorrhizae attached to trees. The adults are short-lived, with the a ...

, but recent classifications establish them firmly within Elateridae.Barbosa, F.F. (2016) Revision and phylogeny of the genus ''Balgus'' Fleutiaux, 1920 (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Thylacosterninae). Zootaxa 4083(4): 451–482. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4083.4.1

Species

* '' Balgus albofasciatus'' (Bonvouloir, 1875) * '' Balgus egaensis'' (Bonvouloir, 1875) "eganensis"/small> * '' Balgus eschscholtzi'' (Laporte, 1835) * '' Balgus humilis'' (Bonvouloir, 1875) * '' Balgus obconicus'' (Bonvouloir, 1875) * '' Balgus rugosus'' (Blanchard, 1843) * ''

Balgus schnusei ''Balgus'' is a genus of Central American click beetle (family Elateridae). They are one of several genera in the family which contain at least one bioluminescent species. The genus was originally placed in the family Eucnemidae, later transferre ...

'' (Heller, 1914) * '' Balgus subfasciatus'' (Bonvouloir, 1875) * '' Balgus tuberculosus'' (Dalman, 1823) - type species (as ''

Melasis ''Melasis'' is the type genus of Eucnemidae, false click beetles of subfamily Melasinae and tribe Melasini. It contains fourteen species, native to North America and parts of Europe, four of which can be found in the Nearctic realm. Description ...

tuberculosa'' )

References

External links

Images at iNaturalist
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2219993 Elateridae genera Bioluminescent insects