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

[1]

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.[2]

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.[2]

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe, in the East Palearctic ecozone and in the Near East.[3]

Bibliography

References