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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Staphylinoidea » Rove Beetles (Staphylinidae) » Carrion Beetles (Silphinae) » Silphini » 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 Silphidae larva - Necrophila americana American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana) - Necrophila americana - male - female Insect on grass blade - Necrophila americana Turtle Beetle - Necrophila americana Black and yellow beetle - Necrophila americana Necrophila americana - American Carrion Beetle - 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 Staphylinidae (Rove Beetles)
Subfamily Silphinae (Carrion Beetles)
Tribe Silphini
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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