American carrion beetle

(Necrophila americana)

Conservation Status
American carrion beetle
Photo by Babette Kis
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

The pronotum is yellow with a single squarish black spot near the center. The spot is usually well separated from the margin at the base of the pronotum. In the northern states and Canada the elytra have a yellow tip.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

½ to ¾ long

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Margined carrion beetle (Oiceoptoma noveboracense) is smaller. The pronotum is orange. The black spot on the pronotum is cross-shaped and touches the margin at the base of the pronotum.

Ridged carrion beetle (Oiceoptoma inaequale) pronotum is entirely black.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist woods

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

March to September

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

The female lays eggs directly on or in a blown carcas of an animal rat sized or larger. Adults overwinter in the ground.

 
     
 

Larva Food

 
 

Animal carrion, fly maggots, and beetle larvae

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Fly larvae and carrion

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

7, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

 
  10/18/2022      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Coleoptera (beetles)  
 

Suborder

Polyphaga (water, rove, scarab, long-horned, leaf, and snout beetles)  
 

Infraorder

Staphyliniformia  
 

Superfamily

Staphylinoidea (rove, ant-like stone, and carrion beetles)  
 

Family

Silphidae (burying and carrion beetles)  
 

Subfamily

Silphinae  
 

Genus

Necrophila  
       
 

American carrion beetle was formerly classified Silpha americana. This and all other North American silphid beetles, formerly in the genus Silpha, have been transferred to the subfamilies Nicrophorinae and Silphinae.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Silpha americana

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

American carrion beetle

crusader carrion beetle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Elytra

The hardened or leathery forewings of beetles used to protect the fragile hindwings, which are used for flying. Singular: elytron.

 

Pronotum

The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Babette Kis

 
 

Necrophila americana - American Carrion Beetle

Necrophila americana - American Carrion Beetle, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI, photo taken May 25, 2019.

  American carrion beetle  
 

Jacqueline Jorgensen

 
    American carrion beetle   American carrion beetle  
           
    American carrion beetle      
 

Maggie Lindberg

 
 

It was crawling on our back yard patio.

 
    American carrion beetle      
 

Luciearl

 
    American carrion beetle      
 

Bill Reynolds

 
  Here we have the American Carrion Beetle. I spotting it flying and shot a stream of water at it from the garden hose, knocking it to the ground. One of the shots is of the beetle resetting it's wings, I'm guessing, for it didn't take off while I took a few images.   American carrion beetle  
           
        American carrion beetle  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Adult

 
    American carrion beetle   American carrion beetle  
           
    American carrion beetle      
           
 

Larva

 
    American carrion beetle      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana)
Andree Reno Sanborn
  American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana)  
Silpha americana (American Carrion Beetle)
Allen Chartier
  Silpha americana (American Carrion Beetle)  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this insect.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

 

 
     
     
       
       
 
Other Videos
 
  Carrion Beetle (Silphidae: Necrophila americana) on Tree Trunk
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 13, 2012

Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (12 June 2012).

 
  Immature Necrophila Americana
pascalnet
 
   
 
About

Published on Jul 9, 2013

Silphidae
Necrophila Americana
Silpha americana
Victoriaville, Québec, Canada
July 6th 2013
Insect

 
  American carrion beetles' aggregation on tree, 6/3/11, MD
metapathogen
 
   
 
About

Published on Feb 24, 2013

American carrion beetles' aggregation on tree, 7/10/11, MD

Necrophila americana

DSCN4241.MOV

 
  American Carrion Beetle (Silphidae: Necrophila americana)
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 20, 2010

Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (20 July 2010).

 
  American Carrion Beetle (Silphidae: Necrophila americana) on Burdock Blossom
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 31, 2010

Photographed at Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (30 July 2010).

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Jacqueline Jorgensen
6/11/2021

Location: Stark Lake, Aitkin, MN

American carrion beetle  
  Maggie Lindberg
7/29/2020

Location: 8835 42nd St., Lake Elmo, MN

It was crawling on our back yard patio.

American carrion beetle  
  Babette Kis
5/25/2019

Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI

Necrophila americana - American Carrion Beetle, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI, photo taken May 25, 2019.

American carrion beetle  
  Luciearl
1/4/2018

Location: Lake Shore, MN

American carrion beetle  
  Bill Reynolds
8/4/2017

Location: Pennington Co MN

Here we have the American Carrion Beetle. I spotting it flying and shot a stream of water at it from the garden hose, knocking it to the ground. One of the shots is of the beetle resetting it's wings, I'm guessing, for it didn't take off while I took a few images.

American carrion beetle  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

Binoculars


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