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Subfamily Silphinae - Carrion Beetles

smooth black carrion beetle - Thanatophilus truncatus

Burying Beetle - Nicrophorus hybridus - male

Necrophila americana - American Carrion Beetle - Necrophila americana

Genus Nicrophorus - Sexton Beetles - Nicrophorus orbicollis

28Jun2017.UF.CB.coleo1 - Oiceoptoma inaequale

Nicrophorus pustulatus Upside-down on Beach. Pretty sure but wanted to check. - Nicrophorus pustulatus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Staphyliniformia)

Superfamily Staphylinoidea

Family Staphylinidae (Rove Beetles)

Subfamily Silphinae (Carrion Beetles)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

used to be treated as a separate family, Silphidae; arrangement here follows (1)

Explanation of Names

Silphinae Latreille 1806

Numbers

2 tribes, with 32 spp. in 9 genera in our area and >200 spp. in 20 genera total(2)

Identification

keys in (3)(4)(5)(6)

Habitat

wide variety of habitats, usually associated with carrion (also on rotting mushrooms, fruit, &c.); some come to lights

Food

scavengers and carrion feeders; Aclypea are herbivores and can damage garden plants; there are predatory silphids (e.g. the adventive Phosphuga atrata) who eat caterpillars & snails(7)

Remarks

Nicrophorus are among the very few beetles that exhibit parental care

Works Cited

1.	Integrated phylogenomics and fossil data illuminate the evolution of beetles Cai C et al. 2022. R. Soc. Open Sci. 9: 211771.

2.	Catalogue of Life

3.	The carrion beetles of Canada and Alaska (Coleoptera: Silphidae and Agyrtidae) Anderson, R.S. and S.B. Peck. 1985. Agriculture Canada.

4.	The Silphidae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada C.G. Majka. 2011. Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society 7: 83-101.

5.	The Carrion Beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Nebraska Brett Ratcliffe. 1996. University of Nebraska State Museum.

6.	The Carrion Beetles of North Dakota Guy A. Hanley and David L Cuthrell. 2008. Minot State University.

7.	American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Phillip Harpootlian, ghanley1, Jeff Gruber, Bbarnd, Mike Quinn, v belov, Arturo Santos
Last updated 18 January, 2025 - 4:58pm

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