The
The American Burying Beetle
Nicrophorus americanusI talk about native lady beetles and their declining numbers in many posts on here...while the Convergent lady beetle is getting harder to find every year, it is still not endangered.
There are insects on the endangered species list though! The American Burying Beetle is a popular one among entomologists.
They are important because they are carrion beetles, which means that they scavenge the remains of animals and are important for recycling that material back into the environment. They have a really interesting behavior. When they find a dead animal, such as a mouse, the male and female work together to move the remains until they find ground that is soft enough to dig. They then bury the remains. This is done at night time to avoid flies laying eggs on the remains (the flies are active during the day). Then they strip the fur or feathers from the body and form in into sort of a compact ball. They use secreted liquids to preserve the carcass, and about 30 eggs are laid in a tunnel near the carcass. Unlike most insects though, the larvae receive parental care!
At one point this beetle could be found in 35 states, and into Canada.
Now this beetle is found in six states
The reasons for it's disappearance is unknown, but it may be due to a loss a habitat.
There are insects on the endangered species list though! The American Burying Beetle is a popular one among entomologists.
They are important because they are carrion beetles, which means that they scavenge the remains of animals and are important for recycling that material back into the environment. They have a really interesting behavior. When they find a dead animal, such as a mouse, the male and female work together to move the remains until they find ground that is soft enough to dig. They then bury the remains. This is done at night time to avoid flies laying eggs on the remains (the flies are active during the day). Then they strip the fur or feathers from the body and form in into sort of a compact ball. They use secreted liquids to preserve the carcass, and about 30 eggs are laid in a tunnel near the carcass. Unlike most insects though, the larvae receive parental care!
At one point this beetle could be found in 35 states, and into Canada.
Now this beetle is found in six states
The reasons for it's disappearance is unknown, but it may be due to a loss a habitat.
Just in time for Halloween!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I also thought of Halloween when I saw this beetle.
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