American Burying Beetle

The American burying beetle makes a living out of eating the dead. A male and female find and bury a small dead animal, perhaps a rodent carcass. Reproduction occurs during summer months and eggs laid nearby soon hatch into grubs (larvae) which feed on the carrion for about a week. Both the male and female help care for the larvae. Next the larvae pupate and emerge as young adults a couple months later.  This beetle is distinctive with its bright orange-red and black body. Orange-red areas can be found on both wings, the area between head and body, and on the tips of each antenna. The American burying beetle can fly over a mile at night.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has partnered with the US Fish & Wildlife Service in rearing and releasing critically endangered American Burying Beetles. Click here to learn about the American Burying Beetle Release of 2016.