| Necrophila rufithorax | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Silphidae |
| Genus: | Necrophila |
| Species: | N. rufithorax |
| Binomial name | |
| Necrophila rufithorax (Wiedemann, 1832) | |
| Synonyms | |
See text | |
Necrophila (Deutosilpha) rufithorax, is a species of carrion beetle found in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. [1] [2] [3] The species is also known to live in Laos and Thailand, but might be another species. [1]
Average body length is about 17.5 to 22.3 mm and the body appears wide and rounded from a dorsal view. The pronotum is hexagonal in shape with 4 spots marking it. In males, each elytron is truncated at the apex, but in females, the elytra are elongated, and are convex at the apex. [4]
In India, the beetle was collected in Keoladeo National Park on the semi-dry carcass of mongoose, and on dry soil in a pasture field. [1]
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Silphidae is a family of beetles that are known commonly as large carrion beetles, carrion beetles or burying beetles. There are two subfamilies: Silphinae and Nicrophorinae. Members of Nicrophorinae are sometimes known as burying beetles or sexton beetles. The number of species is relatively small, at around two hundred. They are more diverse in the temperate region although a few tropical endemics are known. Both subfamilies feed on decaying organic matter such as dead animals. The subfamilies differ in which uses parental care and which types of carcasses they prefer. Silphidae are considered to be of importance to forensic entomologists because when they are found on a decaying body they are used to help estimate a post-mortem interval.
Burying beetles or sexton beetles, genus Nicrophorus, are the best-known members of the family Silphidae. Most of these beetles are black with red markings on the elytra (forewings). Burying beetles are true to their name—they bury the carcasses of small vertebrates such as birds and rodents as a food source for their larvae, this makes them carnivorous. They are unusual among insects in that both the male and female parents take care of the brood.
Nicrophorus tomentosus is a species of burying beetle that was described by Friedrich Weber in 1801. The beetle belongs to the family Silphidae which are carrion beetles. The beetles have sensitive antennae that contain olfactory organs. Thus, the beetle can locate dead animals (carcass), and then as the name suggests, can bury them. However, unlike other burying beetles, N. tomentosus does not completely bury these brood carcasses. They instead dig a shallow hole under the carcass and cover it with leaf litter. Recognition of these beetles can be distinguished by its black color with orange markings on the wing covers (elytra).
Nicrophorus pustulatus, also known as the pustulated carrion beetle or blistered burying beetle, is a species of burying beetle that was described by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1807. This species is native to North America. N. pustulatus exhibits unique habitat utilization and breeding behaviour relative to other members of the genus. This species may be the only described example of a true parasitoid targeting a vertebrate host.
Nicrophorus quadripunctatus is a species of burying beetle that predominates in East Asia. First described by German entomologist Ernst Kraatz in 1877, this beetle has since been the subject of much scientific inquiry—particularly concerning its parental care. Like other burying beetles, N. quadripunctatus inhabit small, vertebrate animal carcasses. This environment provides the beetles with the requisite nutrients for themselves and their offspring. To limit resource theft and predation, the carcass is buried underground. For additional protection, a single, dominant male-female pair guards the carcass cooperatively.
Nicrophorus orbicollis is a nearctic burying beetle first described by Thomas Say in 1825. It is a member of the genus Nicrophorus or sexton beetles, comprising the most common beetles in the family Silphidae. This species is a decomposer feeding on carcasses of small dead animals. N. orbicollis can be used for scientific research both medically and forensically.
The minute tree-fungus beetles, family Ciidae, are a sizeable group of beetles which inhabit Polyporales bracket fungi or coarse woody debris. Most numerous in warmer regions, they are nonetheless widespread and a considerable number of species occur as far polewards as Scandinavia for example.
The American carrion beetle is a North American beetle of the family Silphidae. It lays its eggs in, and its larvae consume, raw flesh and fungi. The larvae and adults also consume fly larvae and the larvae of other carrion beetles that compete for the same food sources as their larvae. They prefer to live in marshy and woody habitats. Necrophila americana emerge from their larval state in the early summer. The P. ashtoni cuckoo bumble bee displays close mimicry with the American carrion beetle. They are important in forensic studies because of their tendency to thrive on large carcasses.
Oiceoptoma noveboracense is a member of the family Silphidae, or carrion beetles, which feed on decaying organic matter such as dead animals. Its common name is the margined carrion beetle, from the orange-red margins on the pronotum, which are helpful when identifying this species. The larva is typically light brown to red and also has vertical ridges on its thorax like the adult. This diurnal beetle can be found mainly in the spring into the fall, and it has a strong preference towards a deciduous forest habitat. The primary forensic importance of this beetle is its ability to use the succession of insect fauna to provide confirmation of postmortem intervals.
Colasposoma is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from Africa, Asia and Australia.
Silphinae is a subfamily of carrion beetles. There are 113 extant species of this subfamily, in two tribe and in 14 genera. It contains the following tribes and genera:
Ablattaria is a genus of carrion beetles belonging to the family Silphidae. The beetles are predators of gastropods. All species in the genus exhibit sexual dimorphism.
Necrophila is a genus of carrion beetles, with around 20 species: most found in Asia, and one species in North America, Necrophila americana.
Oiceoptoma is a genus of carrion beetles.
Hyphoporus nilghiricus, is a species of predaceous diving beetle found in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Sometimes, the species is included into the genus Hygrotus by some authors.
Hyphoporus pugnator, is a species of predaceous diving beetle found in India and Sri Lanka. The species is sometimes placed in the genus Hygrotus by some authors.
Oiceoptoma thoracicum, the red-breasted carrion beetle, is a species of carrion beetle in the family Silphidae. It is found in the Palearctic. As a carrion beetle, this species is a generalist that can have importance in forensic entomology. Larval survival to adulthood occurs most often if the beetles are fed pork compared to beef or chicken.
Silphini is a tribe of carrion beetles in the subfamily Silphinae. It contains the following genera:
Necrodes littoralis, also known as the short sexton beetle, is a species of carrion beetle of the genus Necrodes, found in countries across Europe. As a carrion beetle, it feeds on decaying vertebrate remains and maggots. This species' feeding behaviors make it an important asset to forensic entomology.
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