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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Rove, Carrion and Fungus Beetles (Staphylinoidea) » Carrion Beetles (Silphidae) » Necrodes » Red-lined Carrion Beetle (Necrodes surinamensis)

Species Necrodes surinamensis - Red-lined Carrion Beetle

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Red-lined Carrion Beetle - Necrodes surinamensis

Red-lined Carrion Beetle - Necrodes surinamensis - female

Crazy beetle - Necrodes surinamensis - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Staphylinoidea (Rove, Carrion and Fungus Beetles)

Family Silphidae (Carrion Beetles)

Genus Necrodes

Species surinamensis (Red-lined Carrion Beetle)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Silpha surinamensis

Explanation of Names

Author of species surinamensis is Fabricius, 1775.

Size

12-25 mm

Identification

Distinctive, large eyes, dark body with prominent raised elytral ridges, variable red-orange, sometimes yellow, markings on elytra, though these sometimes absent. Sometimes has red tinge to body. Males have distinctive leg morphology: expanded hind femora with a large tooth on each, and expanded foretarsi. (1) Also, abdomen of male appears to jut out from under abdomen much more than female, at least based on this individual:

The black body with orange markings resembles the pattern of the related Sexton Beetles, Nicrophorus. Perhaps this is a mimicry complex.

Range

Eastern and central North America, east of rocky mountains. Also populations in Pacific Northwest, Montana, Utah. (1)

Habitat

General, but may prefer deciduous forests

Season

All year, but most common in temperate areas April-November. May-July, September (North Carolina).

Food

Adults consume fly larvae (maggots), and perhaps some carrion.

Life Cycle

Rather nocturnal and is found at lights, unlike related genera. Adults locate carrion and mate on or near carcass. They feed on fly larvae there. Eggs are laid on soil near carcass. Larvae feed on fly larvae and carrion, pupate in soil. Adults overwinter in under litter(?) or in other protected areas. See Ratcliffe (1) for details. This species is supposed to be attracted especially, to dead birds. (Insects of Northeastern Iowa)

Has chemical defenses, and smells foul, like all carrion beetles and their larvae.

Print References

Ratcliffe, pp. 26-30, fig. 49 (1)

Dillon, p. 176, plate XIX (2)

Papp, p. 72, fig. 225 (3)

White, p. 121, fig. 44 (4)

Arnett, pp. 129-130, fig. 321 (5)

Salsbury, p. 173--photo (6)

Marshall, photo 302.8 (7)

Brimley p. 135--Silpha surinamensis. (8)

Internet References

Insects of Cedar Creek

Insects of Quebec

Insects of Northeastern Iowa

Nebraska Carrion Beetles

Works Cited

1.	The Carrion Beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Nebraska By Brett Ratcliffe

2.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence

3.	Introduction to North American Beetles By Charles S. Papp

4.	Peterson Field Guides: Beetles By Richard E. White

5.	How to Know the Beetles By Ross H. Arnett, N. M. Downie, H. E. Jaques

6.	Insects in Kansas By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White

7.	Insects: Their Natural History And Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America By Stephen A. Marshall

8.	Insects of North Carolina By C.S. Brimley

Contributed by Cotinis on 6 September, 2004 - 9:03am
Last updated 26 April, 2007 - 6:00pm

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