# Banded Sexton Beetle (*nicrophorus investigator*) The Banded Sexton Beetle is a cool insect that helps clean up nature by eating dead animals! It has bright orange and black stripes that make it easy to spot in the grass. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Habitat:** They live in forests, fields, and gardens, often where there are lots of dead plants or animals. - **Also known as:** Banded Beetle, Orange and Black Beetle, Striped Sexton Beetle ![Banded Sexton Beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Orange_and_Black_Beetle.jpg&width=800) Photo: El macho, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orange_and_Black_Beetle.jpg) ## Appearance The Banded Sexton Beetle is a striking insect, featuring a shiny black body adorned with two bold, wavy orange or reddish-orange bands across its wing covers. Its antennae have distinct club-shaped ends. This vivid banding makes it easily distinguishable from other dark beetles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Staphylinidae - **Genus:** Nicrophorus ## Interesting facts - Banded Sexton Beetles can make squeaking sounds by rubbing body parts together to communicate. - The female lays eggs right next to the buried food, so babies have an instant meal! - These beetles help clean up nature by recycling dead animals into new soil nutrients! - They sometimes fight off other insects to protect their buried food treasure from rivals. ## Special abilities - **Super Sniffer:** Banded Sexton Beetles have an incredible sense of smell that helps them locate dead animals from far away. - **Master Burier:** Banded Sexton Beetles can quickly bury carcasses many times their own size because they have strong digging legs. - **Caring Parent:** Banded Sexton Beetles exhibit rare parental care, feeding and protecting their larvae because it helps their young survive. - **Teamwork Tunellers:** Banded Sexton Beetles often work in pairs to bury food, making the process faster and more efficient. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 25-50 mm - **Size:** 12-25 mm - **Lifespan:** 45-90 days - **Flight Speed:** 10 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding These beetles are nature's recyclers, feasting on dead animals and helping clean up the environment. - **Primary Foods:** small dead mammals, dead birds, dead reptiles, carrion - **Foraging Method:** Scavenging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [House Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-mouse) (*Mus musculus*) — Feeds on their dead bodies, helping decompose them. - **Eats:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Recycles nutrients from dead sparrows back into the ecosystem. - **Symbiotic with:** Carrion Mite (*Poecilochirus carabi*) — Mites hitch rides and eat fly eggs, reducing competition for beetle larvae. - **Eaten by:** Striped Skunk (*Mephitis mephitis*) — Skunks may dig up and consume adult beetles or their larvae. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Banded Sexton Beetle? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Banded Sexton Beetle's wingspan? 25-50 mm ### How big is Banded Sexton Beetle? 12-25 mm ### How long does Banded Sexton Beetle live? 45-90 days ### How fast can Banded Sexton Beetle fly? 10 km/h ### What does Banded Sexton Beetle eat? These beetles are nature's recyclers, feasting on dead animals and helping clean up the environment. ### Where is Banded Sexton Beetle usually found? They live in forests, fields, and gardens, often where there are lots of dead plants or animals. ### How does Banded Sexton Beetle hunt? Scavenging ## Where to spot - [Tantalus Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tantalus-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Banded Sexton Beetle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/banded-sexton-beetle)