American burying beetle indigenous to North America has been enlisted by the IUCN as critically endangered. As their name suggests, these beetles feed on carrion and even need them for breeding.
Some of the common causes for their endangerment include loss of habitat, degradation, and alteration in their surroundings. Due to climate change and transformation in the land conditions, the numbers of several small and medium-sized birds declined rapidly. Hence, these beetles went out of food and even were not able to reproduce. Another cause detected for a reduction in their population was the rapid use of pesticides in areas where they inhabited.
Size: 25 – 35 mm (0.98 – 1.37 inches)
Color: It has a black body with four orange-red patches (two on each col3) on its elytra. The pronotum also has markings of orange-red, while their face and antennae tips have shades of orange.
Other Characteristic Features: These beetles appear shiny with a shield-like projection at the back of their head.
The larva hatches in four days from the eggs laid, and the parents stroke and feed the young ones. This trait, relatively uncommon in insects, is also seen in the earwig. The male and female adult beetles have a unique way of feeding the larva. They consume some of the carcasses and then regurgitate them into the mouth of the larvae. The larval stage continues for about 6 – 12 days, after which the pupal phase starts.
These beetles’ pupa stage occurs in the soil where the larva takes shelter after feeding on the carcass. It spans between 45 and 60 days, after which the adult beetles emerge.
The small, round eggs are laid in a tunnel the female makes in the soil.
| Other Names | Giant carrion beetle |
| Adult lifespan | About four months |
| Duration of larval stage | 6 – 12 days |
| Distribution | Throughout North America |
| Habitat | Open grasslands, oak-hickory forests |
| Seasons active from | Late April – September |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Carrion, and decayed vegetation |
Image Source: fws.gov, pbs.twimg.com, photos1.blogger.com, 64.media.tumblr.com, fws.gov
American burying beetle indigenous to North America has been enlisted by the IUCN as critically endangered. As their name suggests, these beetles feed on carrion and even need them for breeding.
Some of the common causes for their endangerment include loss of habitat, degradation, and alteration in their surroundings. Due to climate change and transformation in the land conditions, the numbers of several small and medium-sized birds declined rapidly. Hence, these beetles went out of food and even were not able to reproduce. Another cause detected for a reduction in their population was the rapid use of pesticides in areas where they inhabited.
Size: 25 – 35 mm (0.98 – 1.37 inches)
Color: It has a black body with four orange-red patches (two on each col3) on its elytra. The pronotum also has markings of orange-red, while their face and antennae tips have shades of orange.
Other Characteristic Features: These beetles appear shiny with a shield-like projection at the back of their head.
The larva hatches in four days from the eggs laid, and the parents stroke and feed the young ones. This trait, relatively uncommon in insects, is also seen in the earwig. The male and female adult beetles have a unique way of feeding the larva. They consume some of the carcasses and then regurgitate them into the mouth of the larvae. The larval stage continues for about 6 – 12 days, after which the pupal phase starts.
These beetles’ pupa stage occurs in the soil where the larva takes shelter after feeding on the carcass. It spans between 45 and 60 days, after which the adult beetles emerge.
The small, round eggs are laid in a tunnel the female makes in the soil.
| Other Names | Giant carrion beetle |
| Adult lifespan | About four months |
| Duration of larval stage | 6 – 12 days |
| Distribution | Throughout North America |
| Habitat | Open grasslands, oak-hickory forests |
| Seasons active from | Late April – September |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Carrion, and decayed vegetation |
Image Source: fws.gov, pbs.twimg.com, photos1.blogger.com, 64.media.tumblr.com, fws.gov
