#silphidae

I thought this feisty little critter was an isopod until I got a closer look. This is a carrion beetle larva, and, as their name suggests, adults and larvae of this insect eat dead animals, maggots that live in carrion, and/or other types of decaying organic matter. I have no idea where this one came from, since there were no dead animals nearby or compost. Perhaps an insectivorous bird dropped it, or maybe this particular species likes chicken manure (there was a chicken tractor nearby vroom vroom). Putting this next part below the cut because it's a little gross. Proceed with caution:

Beetle ID - Cornwall, England, UK:

Hello, yess, yes, hello, this looks like the carrion beetle, Silpha tristis, family Silphidae.

Species Silpha tristis - BugGuide.Net

Who needs a grave digger when you've got burying beetles! Species in the genus Nicrophorus are known for their unique reproductive cycle; males and females meet each other by seeking out out the carcasses of small vertebrates-- usually birds and rodents. After mating, the two strip the carcass of fur or feathers, cover it with anti-bacterial secretions to delay decomposition, and bury both it and themselves in a hollow 'crypt'. Once the larvae hatch, their parents feed them regurgitated bits of the carcass and fend off predators until their young have pupated into adults.

[PHOTOS TAKEN: JULY 19TH, 2025 | Image IDs: Three photos of two separate, black and beige american carrion beetles (not in frame together), one a bit darker in color than the other, in the sandy soil around a carcass that's mostly off screen /End IDs.]

making some posters for wheatpasting

the tomentose burying beetle (Nicrophorus tomentosus) looks a little different from other burying beetles- its thorax is covered with gold fuzz. It’s not really clear why it looks like this when the beetle is at rest, but when it takes flight its shiny black and orange elytra flip upside down to reveal the same golden color as the thorax. The result is that it looks and buzzes like a stinging bumblebee in flight (pardon my friend making this observation in the background)

It might not look that much like a bee in these brief clips I was able to capture, but it gets me for at least a few seconds every time I’ve seen one flying. I vividly recall watching a bumblebee instantly transform into a beetle upon hitting the ground as a kid and being deeply confused

(Massachusetts, 7/6/21)