American carrion beetle - Species Profile
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List
not listed
NatureServe
NNR - Unranked
Minnesota
not listed
Description
The pronotum is yellow with a single squarish black spot near the center. The spot is usually well separated from the margin at the base of the pronotum. In the northern states and Canada the elytra have a yellow tip.
Size
Total length: ½″ to ¾″
Similar Species
Margined carrion beetle (Oiceoptoma noveboracense) is smaller. The pronotum is orange. The black spot on the pronotum is cross-shaped and touches the margin at the base of the pronotum.
Ridged carrion beetle (Oiceoptoma inaequale) pronotum is entirely black.
Habitat
Moist woods
Ecology
Season
March to September
Behavior
Life Cycle
The female lays eggs directly on or in a blown carcas of an animal rat sized or larger. Adults overwinter in the ground.
Larva Food/Hosts
Animal carrion, fly maggots, and beetle larvae
Adult Food
Fly larvae and carrion
Distribution
Sources
Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 7/24/2025).
Necrophila (Necrophila) americana (Linnaeus, 1758) in Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Abreu, C., Acero P, A., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (2026-06-19 XR). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgy8b
Occurrence
Common
Taxonomy
Order
Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder
Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf, and Snout Beetles)
Infraorder
Staphyliniformia
Superfamily
Staphylinoidea (Rove, Ant-like Stone, and Carrion Beetles)
Family
Staphylinoidea (Rove, Ant-like Stone, and Carrion Beetles)
Subfamily
Silphidae (Burying and Carrion Beetles)
Tribe
Silphini
Genus
Necrophila
American carrion beetle was formerly classified Silpha americana. This and all other North American silphid beetles, formerly in the genus Silpha, have been transferred to the subfamilies Nicrophorinae and Silphinae.
Subordinate Taxa
Synonyms
Oiceoptoma affine
Oiceoptoma canadense
Oiceoptoma terminatum
Silpha americana
Silpha peltata
Common Names
American carrion beetle
crusader carrion beetle
