Categories
BeetlesMoving a mouse!
I "Stumbled Upon" your Web site and loved it. Nice job. And now, two days later I have a bug to identify. We delayed cleaning up a mouse carcass our cat left on the back porch this morning, and this evening we saw it MOVING! Then we saw this bug crawling over the carcass, under it, all around it, and occasionally dragging it. I managed to get a video with my digital camera because I knew that tomorrow I wasn’t going to believe it. One photo shows better detail, but is over-exposed. The color is more accurate on the second shot, which shows the mouse (well, it’s not a whole mouse; remember the cat had dibs) as well. The last I looked, the bug and its lunch were over the side of the porch onto the ground, where it’s going to be harder to make headway. There are also a few harvestmen and a couple of other beetles vying for morsels, as well. So what is this muscular little carrion eater?
Many thanks,
David Thomson
Versailles, Kentucky
Hi David,
What a treat, seeing a Burying Beetle, genus Nicrophorus, in action. Often the beetles work in pairs to bury a small rodent or bird. Once buried, the female lays eggs and the carrion provides food for the larvae. Your photos are an awesome addition to our site.
I like ThisRelated Posts
-
(04/25/2008)Mantis eats Mouse: Staged Photo or Docum... -
(01/17/2005)Burying Beetle -
(07/30/2005)Burying Beetle from England -
(09/30/2009)House Centipede eats Mouse
Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.
Post a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.