Nicrophorus vestigator

Nicrophorus vestigator
Nicrophorus vestigator. Museum specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Silphidae
Subfamily:	Nicrophorinae
Tribe:	Nicrophorini
Genus:	Nicrophorus
Species:	N. vestigator
Binomial name
Nicrophorus vestigator Herschel, 1807
Synonyms
N. anglicus, Stephens, 1830 N. brullei, Jakobson, 1910 N. interruptiolus, Strand, 1917 N. interruptus*, Brullé, 1832 N. interruptus*, Gistel, 1857 N. interruptus*, Stephens, 1830 N. i. interruptus, Laporte, 1840 N. olfactor, Gistel, 1848 N. sepultor, Gyllenhal, 1827 N. s. cadaverinus, Mareuse, 1840 N. vestigator bipunctatus, Portevin, 1914 N. v. brullei, Jakobson, 1910 N. v. cadaverinus, Portevin, 1925 N. v. carreti, Pic, 1933 N. v. degener, Carret, 1901 N. v. interruptus, Báguena, 1965 N. v. obscuripennis, Portevin, 1914 N. v. rauterbergi, Reitter, 1900 N. v. reductor, Hatch, 1928 N. v. trimaculatus, Heyden, Reitter, & Weise, 1883 N. v. viturati, Pic, 1917 N. vestigatorem, Matzek, 1839 Silpha interruptus, Reitter, 1884 S. vestigator, Reitter, 1884 * Indicates the name was assigned to this species on multiple occasions without the knowledge the name had already been used to describe the same species.

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

Varietas

• Nicrophorus vestigator var. bipuctatus Portevin, 1914
• Nicrophorus vestigator var. brullei Jacobson, 1910
• Nicrophorus vestigator var. caretti Pic, 1933
• Nicrophorus vestigator var. degener Carret, 1901
• Nicrophorus vestigator var. obscuripennis Portevin, 1914
• Nicrophorus vestigator var. rautenbergi Reitter, 1900
• Nicrophorus vestigator var. viturati Pic, 1917

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 East Palearctic ecozone 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.