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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Staphylinoidea » Carrion Beetles (Silphidae) » Necrophila » American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana)

Species Necrophila americana - American Carrion Beetle

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

American Carrion Beetle - Necrophila americana

Unknown yellow shouldered bug - Necrophila americana

Silphidae headstands - Necrophila americana

American Carrion Beetle (Silpha americana) - Necrophila americana

Necrophila americana - Necrophila americana

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 Necrophila

Species americana (American Carrion Beetle)

Other Common Names

Crusader Carrion Beetle (Jaeger 1859(1))

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Necrophila americana (Linnaeus)

Orig. Comb: Silpha americana Linnaeus 1758

Size

13-20 mm(2)

Identification

Distinctive: large, with mostly yellow pronotum. Oiceoptoma noveboracense is smaller (14 mm) and has a cross-shaped dark pronotal spot that reaches base(3)

In flight, resembles a bumblebee (Bombus) or Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa). (P. Coin, personal observation)

Range

e. NA (NS-FL to MB-e.TX)

Habitat

in moist woods on carrion, fungus, sapping tree wounds(2); prefer larger carrion, "rat-sized or larger"(4)

Season

Mar-Sep(5)

Food

Adults consume fly larvae (maggots) at carrion, as well as some carrion; larvae eat carrion, maggots, and beetle larvae, may prefer dried skin, bits of flesh after maggots have departed(4)(5)

Life Cycle

Eggs laid singly on/near carrion. Larvae hatch in a few days, feed in or under carcass, and pupate in a nearby soil cell. Adults overwinter.(4)(5)

See Also

Oiceoptoma noveboracense

Internet References

U. Virginis

Works Cited

1.	Life of North American Insects Benedict Jaeger. 1859. Harper.

2.	Beetles of Eastern North America Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton University Press.

3.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence. 1961. Row, Peterson, and Company.

4.	National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders Lorus and Margery Milne. 1980. Knopf.

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

Contributed by Cotinis on 6 September, 2004 - 9:53am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Tony-2, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 7 June, 2017 - 8:17pm

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