Please Help Me Identify - Necrophila americana

Off subject a bit

Glad to see the Little Red Schoolhouse is still open. I used to go there/Maple Lake, as a kid. I grew up in Blue Island.

… Stephen Schueman, 16 August, 2007 - 9:29pm

Check out American Carrion Be

Check out American Carrion Beetle.

… Rich Kelly, 16 August, 2007 - 4:32pm

Thank You!!!!!

Thank you so much! That was so quick too!

… Chicago Nature Lady, 16 August, 2007 - 4:36pm

These are a favorite of mine.

These are a favorite of mine. Do a search in the guide, for American Carrion Beetles.

… atrox, 16 August, 2007 - 4:30pm

Thanks!!!

They are rather cute!

… Chicago Nature Lady, 16 August, 2007 - 4:37pm

Don't Collect

If you're a collector, leave these be, they're endangered

… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 16 August, 2007 - 7:46pm

This is not the endangered species!!

This is the very common Necrophila americana, not the endangered Nicrophorus americanus. It's good to make sure which species you're dealing with before making recommendations on whether to collect or not.

… Daniel P Duran, 1 September, 2007 - 5:29pm

Endangered Species

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe when Rich Kelley and atrox identified the beetles, they meant Necrophila americana, which I'm fairly certain isn't on the endangered species list. The American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) is on the endangered species list.

… Donna Brunet, 17 August, 2007 - 5:06am

I never collect anything. I

I never collect anything. I only take pictures. It's sad that they're endangered, what's the cause?

… atrox, 16 August, 2007 - 9:36pm

Here's a link to the endangered one,

Nicrop*horus amer*icanus. I don't know what the experts say but I have a theory that the species' demise was brought on by the advent of electric power and artificial lights to rural America. The beetles fly to these lights and it interferes with their job of finding small corpses and propagating.

… Jim McClarin, 17 August, 2007 - 8:46pm

Causes of decline (of Nicrophorus americanus)

Hi Jim, there is a great review of the hypotheses about the decline of the American burying beetle:

http://homepages.ucalgary.ca/~dsikes/Sikes-Raithel_2002.pdf

Electric lights may have some impact but are almost certainly minor compared to several other factors discussed in this paper. Habitat fragmentation (and it's result on increasing competition from vertebrate carrion feeders) is an especially likely cause of decline in the opinion of many that I know.

Cheers,
Dan

… Daniel P Duran, 1 September, 2007 - 5:40pm

Thanks, Dan.

I'll check it out at http://homepages.ucalgary.ca/~dsikes/Sikes-Raithel_2002.pdf

(later} Interesting read.

… Jim McClarin, 1 September, 2007 - 6:03pm