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Species Necrodes surinamensis - Red-lined Carrion Beetle

Red-lined Carrion Beetle - Necrodes surinamensis - female larva? - Necrodes surinamensis Beetle - Necrodes surinamensis Red-lined Carrion Beetle  - Necrodes surinamensis Necrodes surinamensis  - Necrodes surinamensis Necrodes surinamensis Large Beetle at lights - Necrodes surinamensis Necrodes surinamensis
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 Silphidae (Carrion Beetles)
Genus Necrodes
Species surinamensis (Red-lined Carrion Beetle)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Necrodes surinamensis (Fabricius)
Orig. Comb: Silpha surinamensis Fabricius, 1775
Numbers
1 sp. n. of Mex. (5 spp. total) (1)
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
e. NA to BC - Map (1)(2)
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)
Internet References
Works Cited
1.The Carrion Beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Nebraska
Brett Ratcliffe. 1996. University of Nebraska State Museum.
2.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)