The Collaborative International Dictionary
snapping beetle
Elater \El"a*ter\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? driver, fr. ? to drive.]
(Bot.) An elastic spiral filament for dispersing the spores, as in some liverworts.
(Zo["o]l.) Any beetle of the family Elaterid[ae], having the habit, when laid on the back, of giving a sudden upward spring, by a quick movement of the articulation between the abdomen and thorax; -- called also click beetle, spring beetle, and snapping beetle.
(Zo["o]l.) The caudal spring used by Podura and related insects for leaping. See Collembola.
WordNet
snapping beetle
n. able to right itself when on its back by flipping into the air with a clicking sound [syn: click beetle, skipjack]