Nicrophorus marginatus
| Nicrophorus marginatus | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nicrophorus marginatus |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nicrophorus marginatus | ||||||||||||
| Fabricius , 1801 |
Nicrophorus marginatus is a kind of gravedigger ( Nicrophorus ) from the family of carrion beetles (Silphidae). It is widespread in North America.
features
The beetles are 20 to 27 millimeters long. The elytra and the pronotum are glossy black in color and have two interrupted orange stripes or single spots on the wings. The elytra leave several abdominal segments free at the end of the body. The trailing edges of the pronotum are flattened and the antennae are thickened. A sexual dimorphism does not exist.
Occurrence
The animals are found in the Nearctic in much of North America in Canada and the United States . The beetle lives mainly in deciduous and mixed forests and neighboring fields and meadows.
Way of life
Like all grave diggers, this type of carrion lives and in this live fly larvae. They are nocturnal and hide during the day. By rubbing the posterior segments against the inside of the elytra, they are able to generate rubbing noises. These noises will scare off other grave diggers if more than one pair of the beetles are already on a carcass.
The beetles use the carcasses of small mammals and birds to lay their eggs. To do this, they bury the carcass together and mate in it. Then they remove hair or feathers and form small balls from the meat in which the female lays the eggs. The parent animals stay with the larvae until pupation , which often takes place in side tunnels, and then fly out to look for new carcasses. They live as adult beetles for up to 15 months.
literature
- Lorus Milne, Margery Milne: Field Guide to Insects and Spiders. National Audubon Society, Chantacleer Press, 1980; P. 549. ISBN 0-394-50763-0 .
