CARRION BEETLE

any of the approximately 175 species of the insect family Silphidae (order Coleoptera). The majority of these beetles feed on the bodies of dead and decaying animals, transforming them into a state more readily available to the environment. A few live in beehives as scavengers, and some eyeless ones live in caves, feeding on bat droppings. Carrion beetles range in size from minute to 35 mm (1.4 inches), averaging around 12 mm (0.5 inch). Many are brightly colouredorange, yellow, or redwhile others are black. The flat, flexible body and wings allow these insects to crawl under dead animals. The long, flat larvae that emerge from eggs deposited in carrion have a triangular point at each tapering end. After they emerge from the eggs, the larvae feed for the first few days on a brown liquid regurgitated by the parents. Because some carrion beetles dig the ground out from under a carcass and, in effect, bury it, they are also known as burying beetles.