Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Register
·
Log In
Home
Guide
ID Request
Recent
Frass
Forums
Donate
Help
Clickable Guide
Calendar
Upcoming Events
National Moth Week photos of
insects
and
people
. Here's
how to add your images.
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2019 BugGuide Gathering in Louisiana
, July 25-27
Discussion
,
insects
and
people
from the
2018 gathering in Virginia
, July 27-29
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2015 gathering in Wisconsin
, July 10-12
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2014 gathering in Virginia
, June 4-7.
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2013 gathering in Arizona
, July 25-28
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2012 gathering in Alabama
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2011 gathering in Iowa
Taxonomy
Browse
Info
Images
Links
Books
Data
Home
» Guide »
Arthropods (Arthropoda)
»
Hexapods (Hexapoda)
»
Insects (Insecta)
»
Beetles (Coleoptera)
»
Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga)
»
Series Staphyliniformia
»
Rove, Carrion and Fungus Beetles (Staphylinoidea)
»
Carrion Beetles (Silphidae)
»
Sexton Beetles (Nicrophorus)
»
Tomentose Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus tomentosus)
Photo#96235
Copyright © 2007
Ray
Beetle ? -
Nicrophorus tomentosus
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
January 8, 2005
Found this my first 5 minutes in Ashville NC. It has larvae moving around on it. Is it it's young or a parasite ?
tag
·
login
or
register
to post comments
Contributed by
Ray
on 24 February, 2007 - 12:54am
Last updated 16 February, 2012 - 4:08pm
Silphidae
Carrion or Sexton Beetle... Nicrophorus... possibly N. tomentosus... I don't know the species well enough to be certain... though the thorax most certainly is 'tomentose'
…
Joe, Entomologist (in training)
, 24 February, 2007 - 1:24am
login
or
register
to post comments
Banded Sexton Beetle (Nicrophorus investigator)
Ty very Much I just found it and what was living on it.
These beetles are frequently infested by tiny reddish-brown gamasid mites (Gamasus species),
http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/silphid.htm
…
Ray
, 24 February, 2007 - 1:29am
login
or
register
to post comments
No, this is N. tomentosus as Joe suggests.
The golden fur on the pronotum is diagnostic for this species as recognized in its species name.
Compare
.
As for the mites, Gamasida is an outmoded classification, the mites are large, not tiny (by mite standards at least), and I have never read elsewhere in any authoritative source that they are in any respect ectoparasitic on the beetles. Rather, they are described as mutual benefactors, not an infestation.
…
Jim McClarin
, 24 February, 2007 - 6:37am
login
or
register
to post comments
Mites
Those probably aren't larvae, but mites. While some mites are parasites, more often than not they're just hitch-hikers, even benefiting the beetle by eating potential parasites.
…
Chuck Entz
, 24 February, 2007 - 1:05am
login
or
register
to post comments
Mesotigmatid mites
Their position atop the beetle's wingcovers (elytra) signifies that this beetle has just flown and/or is about to fly. Normally, unless the beetle is super-loaded with mites, they cling to the beetle's underside. However, when the beetle is about to fly, the mites climb up on top, all facing forward. They are protected in this position because the beetle rotates its elytra up and toward the center, forming a tent-like enclosure with the mites inside:
As Chuck points out, the mites benefit the beetle. They eat the eggs and freshly-hatched maggots of carrion flies that would both compete for food and poison the food with their high-amonia waste products. The mites help the beetle's larvae to survive, giving their own young a new generation of beetles to ride to the next carcass. It's a beautiful relationship that stinks to high heaven :-)
…
Jim McClarin
, 24 February, 2007 - 6:14am
login
or
register
to post comments
mite be
Ty for the response.
…
Ray
, 24 February, 2007 - 1:20am
login
or
register
to post comments
Comment viewing options
Flat list - collapsed
Flat list - expanded
Threaded list - collapsed
Threaded list - expanded
Date - newest first
Date - oldest first
10 comments per page
30 comments per page
50 comments per page
70 comments per page
90 comments per page
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.