Athous

Athous is a genus of beetles in the family Elateridae. Beetles in this family are called "click beetles". "Athous" is one of the largest genera of click beetles, containing more than a hundred species.
Species were first organised into this genus by Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz in 1829.
The larvae, called "wireworms", feed on roots of plants and also on seeds lying on the ground. They are considered pests by farmers because they damage crops. They also live in rotting wood.