American Burying Beetle
Family:
Silphidae (carrion beetles) in the order Coleoptera
Description:
A bright, shiny beetle with distinctive orange-and-black pattern on its wing covers. There is a reddish-orange mark on the shieldlike plate (pronotum) just behind the head. There are orange marks on the face and antennae tips, as well.
Size:
Length: to 1¼ inches.
Habitat and conservation:
This beetle once lived in 35 states, but they declined as habitat changed and natural communities were disturbed. By 1923 they were dwindling, and when they were placed on the Federal Endangered Species List in 1989, they had disappeared from all but four states. Today the species remains in only a handful of states and is currently gone from Missouri. Scientists have raised American burying beetles in captivity and are having some success in reintroducing them in the wild.
Foods:
These carrion beetles eat dead animals—mice, birds or other creatures. Using organs located on the tips of their antennae, the beetles can smell dead animal carcasses from far away. They fly to the carrion, prepare it and lay eggs nearby. The carrion is later consumed by the beetles’ larvae.
Distribution in Missouri:
No longer found in the state, but conservationists are attempting to bring them back.
Status:
Federally listed as Endangered.
Life cycle:
Adults typically emerge late in the summer and feed until fall, when they bury themselves in the soil to overwinter. In Missouri, they reemerge in May and begin mating. The male and female both assist in burying the carcass of a mouse or other small animal. The female then lays 10–30 eggs near the carcass. Assisted by both parents, the larvae feed on the carcass until they mature, then emerge as adults to feed on other carcasses until winter.
Human connections:
This beetle has many remarkable characteristics that make it of interest to science. It is one of the few beetles in which both parents care for the young. It is also useful to study its response to a changing ecosystem.
Ecosystem connections:
These little scavengers perform a valuable if not glorious service to the natural community by burying dead animals and then consuming them. MDC's Mission, Vision, Priorities
MDC protects and manages Missouri's fish, forest, and wildlife resources.
We also facilitate your participation in resource-management activities, and we provide opportunities for you to use, enjoy and learn about nature.
Shortened URL
http://mdc.mo.gov/node/3178
