American burying beetle

precious beetle!

Sadly many thousands of species face extinction either directly or indirectly through the actions of man. The American burying beetle may not have the charisma of the panda or the rhino, but this little insect plays an important role in “reprocessing” carrion, and is also one of the few species of beetle to exhibit parental care. Its decline has been attributed to a number of factors including widespread pesticide use and habitat loss and degradation. However, scientists now believe that one of the biggest threats to the survival of the species is light pollution. Burying beetles are unusual in that both the male and female take part in raising the young. The male locates a suitable carcass and often has to fight with other males for prime ‘real estate” so that he is able to attract a mate. The pair process the carcass by removing fur and scales, and bury it prior to mating. The female then deposits a clutch of 12 to 30 eggs on it. Once the larvae have hatched, both parents feed and tend their young for around 14 days. In addition to preparing and burying a suitable carcass, the parent beetles must chew and process food for their young, regurgitating flesh for the larvae much like birds do with their chicks. Burying beetles are nocturnal, and studies have shown if they are exposed to light at night, they don't sufficiently prepare the carcass before the female lays her eggs on it, and often wander off, leaving their young to fend for themselves, resulting in much reduced survival rates. http://bit.ly/18UoJez https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153614023810603&set=a.10150595289465603.674700.10150120463815603&type=1

thanks fro you nice words Goody

it's what i'am trieingto do for my 1000 somrthing special to me :)

Goody,i have the idea of go to the first spotting of some of my friends and when i go to Karen 1º spotting i remark you haved the same idea:)so here is your first,i haved allready maked a like when you enter PN ,congrats for you awesome spotting page,very good work,thanks for sharing

Yes indeed, I've read about the efforts from The Wilds, but I always seem to find the information a few months after the fact, so I can never volunteer to help out. Hopefully the next release they try will be more successful. It's at least good news that some of the reintroduction efforts elsewhere aren't doing too shabby.

That is such a beautiful beetle. I earnestly hope that we can extend this beetle's range back to what it once was, it would be a crushing disappointment to lose it.

Thanks Goody! I look forward to seeing more of your spottings! :)

Very nice! Welcome to Project Noah Goody!