Invertebrates
Burying Beetle
Nicrophorus spp. · also called sexton beetle
Within hours of a small animal’s death, a pair of burying beetles arrives, drawn in by scent alone, and begins the slow work of burying the carcass together, preparing it not just as a meal but as a nursery for larvae both parents will go on to feed and guard directly.
Overview
The burying beetle, genus Nicrophorus, is a carrion beetle found across forest and grassland habitat on most continents. Its remarkable scent-detection ability and genuine biparental care of its larvae, a level of cooperative parenting rarely seen among insects, make it one of the more behaviourally sophisticated small scavengers in the animal kingdom.
Parenting rare among insects
While most insect parents leave their eggs to fend entirely for themselves, the burying beetle does the opposite, with both parents actively preparing, defending, and directly feeding their offspring in a partnership that would be unremarkable in a bird but is genuinely striking in a beetle.
Status
Least Concern — widespread across suitable forest and grassland habitat worldwide, though some species have declined significantly in parts of their range.
Burying Beetle: common questions
How does a burying beetle find a dead animal so quickly?
A burying beetle uses extremely sensitive antennae to detect the scent of a small animal carcass from a considerable distance, often arriving at a fresh carcass within hours of an animal's death, a sensory capability that lets the beetle compete effectively against other scavengers racing for the same limited resource.
Do burying beetles really take care of their young?
Yes, a mated pair of burying beetles works together to bury a carcass, strip its fur or feathers, and coat it with antimicrobial secretions, then both parents directly feed and guard the resulting larvae, a genuine and well-documented example of biparental care that is rare among insects generally.
Why is the carcass coated in secretions after burial?
After burying a carcass, a burying beetle coats it with oral and anal secretions that slow microbial decay, a preservation step that helps keep the buried food source usable for long enough to successfully raise an entire brood of developing larvae before the carcass breaks down too far to be useful.
What happens if two burying beetles find the same carcass?
Burying beetles compete intensely with rival burying beetles, blowflies, and other scavengers for access to a fresh carcass, sometimes fighting other beetles outright to win control of a valuable find, since a suitably sized carcass represents a significant and often scarce resource for successfully raising a brood.