Carrion beetle on dead shrew - Nicrophorus tomentosus

Moved from ID Request to Guid

Moved from ID Request to Guide at species level.

… E Moon, 9 September, 2008 - 4:32pm

Carrion beetle

Did you watch the beetle to see if it buried the dead shrew? These beetles will chew off the fur of the small mammals. When the animal turns to "mush" the mother lays her eggs in it. The beetle larvae eat the dead animal. The parents live long enough to take care of their larvae and can actually "communicate" with them through clicking sounds. I think that is amazing!

… Kris Light, 8 September, 2008 - 8:14pm

The beetle crawled under

The beetle kept crawling under the shrew, while I kept turning the shrew to get a better view of the beetle. I guess that was too much disturbance to deal with, for the beetle eventually sneaked away thru the grass. I searched for it, but couldn't find it. I went back to the same spot today ~24 h later, but the shrew was gone too & it didn't look like anything was buried at the spot.

… Aydin Örstan, 8 September, 2008 - 8:31pm

Nicrophorus tomentosus

… v belov, 8 September, 2008 - 8:13pm