Identification
Like other carrion beetles in genus Nicrophorus, N. americanus has shiny black wing covers that are each marked with two bright orange/red bands, but it can be readily distinguished from the other nearctic species by the large and distinctive orange/red marking at the center of the pronotum.
Range
The ABB was historically recorded from at least 150 counties in 35 states in the eastern and central United States, as well as southeastern Canada.
Habitat
Given its former range throughout eastern North America, the ABB is generally not thought of as a habitat specialist.
Food
This is the largest North American member of the Silphidae family and is thought to have preferred to feed on larger carrion items such as the now extinct Passenger Pigeon.
Remarks
This is an endangered species, and is the largest nearctic Silphid beetle.
It was the first beetle (in 1989) to be placed on the USFWS endangered species list.
Burying beetles are one of the few examples of biparental care in insects outside of the social insects.
The American Burying Beetle is the largest carrion-frequenting insect in North America.
Print References
Godwin, W.B. & V. Minich. 2005. Status of the American Burying Beetle,
Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, (Coleoptera: Silphidae) at Camp Maxey, Lamar County, Texas. Interagency Final Report to Texas Army National Guard. 19 pp.
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