# Boreal Burying Beetle (*nicrophorus defodiens*) The Boreal Burying Beetle is a fascinating little insect that helps clean up nature by burying dead animals. These beetles are like tiny recyclers, turning decay into life! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests and grasslands - **Also known as:** Burying Beetle, Carrion Beetle, Necrophorus Beetle ![Boreal Burying Beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Nicrophorus_defodiens.JPG&width=800) Photo: Trépas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicrophorus_defodiens.JPG) ## Appearance The Boreal Burying Beetle is a shiny black beetle with distinctive bright orange-red bands across its wing covers. Its antennae have noticeable orange tips. This robust insect has a somewhat flattened body shape, making it visually striking and unique. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Staphylinidae - **Genus:** Nicrophorus ## Interesting facts - Boreal Burying Beetles make squeaky sounds to communicate with their hungry young. - These beetles strip fur or feathers from buried animals to prepare them! - They roll the carcass into a ball, like a tiny meatball for their babies. - Two beetles often team up to bury a single animal, working together! ## Special abilities - **Master Mortician:** Boreal Burying Beetle can quickly bury animals many times its size because of its strong legs and cooperative digging, creating a safe nursery. - **Caring Parent:** Boreal Burying Beetle has unique parental care that helps them feed and protect their young, a rare behavior among most insects. - **Scent Seeker:** Boreal Burying Beetle can locate dead animals from far away because of its super-sensitive antennae, helping it find food for its family. - **Natural Preserver:** Boreal Burying Beetle has special chemicals that help them preserve the buried carcass, stopping mold and bacteria from spoiling the food. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 25-45 mm - **Size:** 12-22 mm - **Lifespan:** 60-300 days - **Flight Speed:** 8-15 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding These beetles mostly feast on dead small animals and the maggots they find there. - **Age differences:** Larvae are fed regurgitated carrion by parents, then later feed directly on the buried carcass. - **Primary Foods:** small dead mammals, dead birds, bird eggs, fly larvae, decomposing flesh - **Foraging Method:** Scavenging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — Consumes the mouse's carrion as food source. - **Symbiotic with:** Carrion Mite (*Poecilochirus carabi*) — Mites hitch rides on beetles, helping clean carrion. - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — May dig up and eat beetles and their buried carrion. - **Eats:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — Eats fly larvae (maggots) competing for carrion. ## 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. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [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:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Boreal Burying 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 Boreal Burying Beetle's wingspan? 25-45 mm ### How big is Boreal Burying Beetle? 12-22 mm ### How long does Boreal Burying Beetle live? 60-300 days ### How fast can Boreal Burying Beetle fly? 8-15 km/h ### What does Boreal Burying Beetle eat? These beetles mostly feast on dead small animals and the maggots they find there. ### Where is Boreal Burying Beetle usually found? Forests and grasslands ### How does Boreal Burying Beetle hunt? Scavenging ## Where to spot - [Black Tern Bog State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-tern-bog-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Wallace Falls State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wallace-falls-state-park) — Washington, US · 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: [Boreal Burying Beetle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/boreal-burying-beetle)