This Creepy Hudson Valley Insect Is Hiding an Amazing Superpower

If you see one of these huge beetles around your home you may recoil in fear. But instead of running away, you may want to stick around and see its amazing superpower.

I was sitting on my deck this week when I spotted this monster insect sunning itself in front of me. At approximately 1.5 inches long I was startled by this huge beetle. Living in the Hudson Valley for over 30 years, I've never seen one before and was curious what it could be.

As I inched closer, I noticed the bug had some amazing markings on its back. The beetle seemed unimpressed by my presence so I got up close and snapped a photo in hopes of being able to identify it.

As I began to Google the bug I heard a loud snap and looked up to find that it had relocated to the other end of the deck. How did it move so quickly? Well, that has something to do with this bug's incredible superpower.

It turns out that the insect is a click beetle. These bugs come in all sorts of shapes and colors and get their name from an amazing defense mechanism they have. The click beetle is able to contort its body quickly and launch itself into the air. Much like a spring releasing a mousetrap, the click beetle has a latch on its body that can create enough potential energy to make it fly when released.

This video shows just how the click beetle's superpower works.

These beetles are not harmful to humans but can ruin your garden. Most of the time, they simply hid out in dark crevices and leave you alone. So if you encounter a click beetle, don't be afraid. Instead, sit back and wait for it to do its magic and consider yourself lucky for getting to see this incredible creature in action.