Adult wireworms, commonly called 'click beetles', are slender, black beetles, 8-12 mm long. They have backward-pointing projections near the middle of their tapered bodies. Click beetles are easily identified by the audible click they emit when placed on their backs. A hinged joint between the thorax and abdomen has a keel that allows them to arch themselves when on their back. By snapping down quickly they pop up into the air and flip over.
Wireworm eggs are minute, oval and pearly-white.
The larvae are slender, jointed, and usually hard-bodied. They have 3 pairs of legs behind the head. The last abdominal segment is flattened with a keyhole-shaped notch. The delicate, white pupae are formed within earthen cells. The prairie grain wireworm, Ctenicera aeripennis destructor , is the most common wireworm pest in Manitoba.