Nicrophorus vestigator

Nicrophorus vestigator is a species of beetle belonging to the family Silphidae.

Nicrophorus vestigator
Nicrophorus vestigator. Museum specimen
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Silphidae
Genus:	Nicrophorus
Species:	N. vestigator
Binomial name
Nicrophorus vestigator Herschel, 1807
Synonyms
Necrophorus [sic] Vestigator Herschel, 1807 Necrophorus [sic] sepultor Gyllenhal, 1827 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] anglicus Samouelle, 1833 (Unav.) Necrophorus [sic] interruptus Brullé, 1832 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] sepultor cadaverinus Mareuse, 1840 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] olfactor Gistel, 1848 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. Rauterbergi Reitter, 1900 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. degener Carret, 1901 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. brullei Jacobson, 1910 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. bipunctatus Portevin, 1914 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. obscuripennis Portevin, 1914 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. Viturati Pic, 1917 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. Carreti Pic, 1933

Description

Illustration of Nicrophorus vestigator from G.G. Yakobson "Beetles of Russia"

Nicrophorus vestigator can reach a length of about 14–22 millimetres (0.55–0.87 in). The basic color of the body is black, with two wide transversal orange stripes on the elytra. These beetles have large club-like antennae equipped with black and yellow tips. The legs are strong. The last three abdominal segments protrude beyond the elytra.

Like other burying beetles they bury the carcasses of small vertebrates such as birds and mice as a food source for their larvae. Larval development takes place during the summer, and the fully formed individuals can be found mainly in May–June and in August.

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm and in the Near East.

Bibliography

• Sikes, Derek S., Ronald B. Madge, and Alfred F. Newton (2002) A catalog of the Nicrophorinae (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of the world, Zootaxa, no. 65
• Baranowski, R. 1982. Intressanta skalbaggsfynd 6. Ent. Tidskr.103: 130–136.
• Hansen, V. 1968. Biller XXV. Adselbiller, stumpbiller m.fl. Danmarks Fauna 77.
• Fabre, J.-H. 1925 Souvenirs Entomologiques Volume 6 Chapitre VII