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Post by jpaul3405 on Aug 3, 2020 22:50:07 GMT
Hi, I am new to the board, and didn't know the best place to post. I had a crazy experience. I saw a squirrel's tail sticking out of the dirt, with the rest of the body buried in the dirt. Needless to say, I was puzzled. I dug up a dead squirrel, and in the process of doing so, saw these beetles with orange spots on their back under the soil. Also, I heard a high pitched noise when I first put my shovel in the dirt to get the squirrel out. So, I did a bunch of research, and burying beatle checked all the boxes. That said, I haven't heard about them in Central Florida, and couldn't see anything online. Anyone have any knowledge/experience with this?
Appreciate it,
Jason
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Post by Paul K on Aug 3, 2020 23:06:31 GMT
What you found is Burying beetles or sexton beetles, genus Nicrophorus. They bury carcasses and use it as a food for their larvae.
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Post by jpaul3405 on Aug 4, 2020 0:26:43 GMT
Thanks for the info. Are these common in the State of Florida?
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Post by trehopr1 on Aug 4, 2020 0:57:36 GMT
Burying beetles are the undertaker's of the insect world. They may be found in all temperate and tropical climates. With the exception of the poles and perhaps very arid regions they may be found everywhere although largely unnoticed by most people. They are a small family of beetles relatively speaking in terms of species however, they fill a specific niche in nature which helps keep the world tidy. Dung beetles are another type of specialized beetle which also do a niche job which in its own right is equally as important. Dung beetles however, belong to a different family than burying beetles.
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