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Named for its method of burying rotting carcasses to feed its young, the American burying beetle is the gravedigger of the animal kingdom.
source/image: Great Big Story
With powerful wings and chemical receptors in its antennae, finding food is this beetle’s forte.Adult beetles are nocturnal and, search widely for carrion.
They are remarkably adept at detecting the odor of recent death.But while once a prolific part of the American landscape, the burying beetle population has dwindled in recent years.
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Today, they can only be found in six states. While conservation efforts are underway, there is still a long way to go to save these insects from their endangered status.
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