The American Burying Beetle
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As more and more animals are added to the endangered species list, it becomes apparent that in order to preserve our fragile ecosystem people and organizations must take an active role in its conservation. Here at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, we are helping to ensure the survival of the American Burying Beetle. Since 1994, our zoo has been breeding populations of American Burying Beetles and releasing them in the wild, hoping to repair a vital link in the chain of the ecosystem. Known as nature's most efficient and fascinating recyclers, burying beetles are important scavengers that are responsible for recycling decaying animals back into the ecosystem. American Burying Beetle information is listed below, but for species recovery and conservation efforts, click here. |
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Species Profile |
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Appearance: |
Nicrophorus americanus grows as large as two inches, and lives about 12 months. It has a black, shiny carapace (or surrounding armor-like shell) with bright orange markings on its back, wing coverings, and head. The field marking identifying this species is a circular orange spot on its pronotum. The beetles have strong pincers, used for both fighting and ripping through food. |
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Location: |
Once found in most of the eastern and central borders of the United States and along the southern borders of Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia in Canada, the only population east of the Mississippi now occurs on Block Island off the south coast of Rhode Island.
See Distribution Map |
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Diet: |
This beetle, like many scavengers, eats dead, decaying animals. |
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Male or Female?: |
The ABB are sexually dimorphic, meaning there is a clear distinction between males and females. The orange markings make it easier to discern the gender of a beetle: females have a triangular shaped orange mark on their heads between antennae, while males have a square shape in the same area. This beetle is a male: |
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Reproduction: |
The most intriguing aspects of this creature are how it eats and how it reproduces…which are very much related. The interesting (and perhaps unsettling) twist, though, is that American Burying Beetle not only feeds off the dead carcasses, it also uses certain dead animals to serve as a "nest" for its offspring. On summer nights, both male and female beetles fly as much as a kilometer a night, searching for the odor of a decaying animal.
If the dead carrion is the right size, the pair will then prepare their carcass for their soon to be produced brood (litter of baby beetles). Just before the male and female beetles mate, the pair will proceed to bury their hard-earned carcass, which must be between 80 to 200 grams. The size is so specific because the carrion must big enough to house the larvae when they hatch, but not too big that it can't be buried by the beetles. While the carcass is being buried, the beetles secrete a fluid onto the dead carcass that preserves it, keeping it from decaying further, and making it a perfect cradle for baby beetles. After the carcass has been completely buried (to hide it from other hungry creatures) the female will lay its eggs inside of the carcass. Larvae hatch after a few days, and, quite interestingly, are tended to by both parents (which is rare among most animals), who feed the larvae when they stroke the mandibles of the parents, a sign of hunger. After 12 to 15 days, the larvae tunnel underground where they enter a pupal stage that lasts 6 to 8 weeks. At the end of their transformation they emerge as adult beetles, ready to go out and find a nest of their own. |
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Burying the carcass |
Secreting Mucus on Carcass and laying eggs |
Feeding the Larva |
Larva begin tunneling |
Emerging as Adult Beetles |
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Many bugs are as fascinating as the American Burying Beetle. What to learn more about nature's small and important creatures?
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The Bug Club is a club designed for kids who are interested in some of the most important critters on earth! In each class, we will: study all kinds of bugs, do a bug project, and play a bug game! Sign up for one or both sessions! Learn something different in each class. |
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