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Species Necrophila americana - American Carrion Beetle

American Carrion Beetle - Necrophila americana Necrophila americana American Carrion Beetle - Necrophila americana American Carrion Beetle? - Necrophila americana A Burying Beetle Garden Party - Necrophila americana A Burying Beetle Garden Party - Necrophila americana American Carrion Beetle - Necrophila americana American Carrion Beetle - Necrophila americana
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 Necrophila
Species americana (American Carrion Beetle)
Other Common Names
Crusader Carrion Beetle (Jaeger, 1859(1))
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Necrophila americana (Linnaeus, 1758). Taxonomic notes:
described in 1758 by Linnaeus as Silpha americana
Size
14-20 mm
Identification
Distinctive: large, with mostly yellow pronotum. Oiceoptoma noveboracense is similar, but smaller (14 mm), and has more of a cross-shaped dark mark on pronotum that goes all the way to the base (2).

In flight, with its yellow pronotum and black body, this species rather resembles a bumblebee (Bombus) or Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa). (Personal observation, P. Coin, Durham, North Carolina, 5/5/04.) Ratcliffe, p. 33, states the beetle mimics a cuckoo-bee, Psithyrus ashtoni.
Range
North America east of Rockies (3)
Habitat
Prefers "marshy and forested areas". (4)
Season
Spring-early fall. March-September (Nebraska), reported April-July (North Carolina)
Food
Adults consume fly larvae (maggots) at carrion, as well as some carrion.
Life Cycle
Diurnal, not found at lights (but see comments here). Found on carrion and decaying fungi. Larvae eat carrion, larvae of flies and other carrion beetles. Eggs are laid singly on or near carrion. They prefer larger carrion, Milne (5) states "rat-sized or larger". Larvae hatch in a few days, feed in or under carcass, and pupate in a nearby soil cell. Larvae may prefer dried skin, bits of flesh after maggots have departed. Adults overwinter. (5) (4)
Print References
Arnett, p. 130, fig. 322 (6)
Brimley, p. 135 (7)
Dillon, p. 177, Plate XXIX (2)
Jaeger, 1859. Life of North American Insects (1).
Marshall, photos 303.1-2, adult and larva (8)
Milne, p. 550, figure 174 (5)
Papp, pp. 71-72, figure 224 (3)
Ratcliffe, pp. 32-34, fig. 57 (4)
White, p. 120, plate 2. (9)
Internet References
Insects of Cedar Creek genus Silpha (out-of-date taxonomy)
Insects of Quebec has a page with good photos of specimens.
Animal Diversity Web--click on Pictures tab to see photos.
Systema Naturae, 10th ed., v.1, p.360    Linnaeus' original description of the species (in Latin)