American burying beetle larvae

Inch-long, white beetle larvae eating a buried, gooey quail carcass in a dirt hole. The American burying beetle parents crawl along the edge of the hole.
Photo By/Credit

Scott Comings/The Nature Conservancy

Date Shot/Created
10/17/2023
Media Usage Rights/License
Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved - Used by Permission
Image
After a couple weeks, the field crew checked their holes and found American burying beetle larvae feeding on each buried quail carcass. American burying beetle parents demonstrate a high degree of parental oversight, much like honey bees.
Species
Nicrophorus americanus
Subject tags
Endangered and/or Threatened species