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Variety of burying beetle or…..?
Hi!
I think it’s great that there are so many people out there who are
interested enough in bugs to find out what they are. And I think it’s even better that there is a site where people can go to get help from well-educated and dedicated people such as you. Thanks! Now, on to my bug. I found these in a rotten area of a maple tree in my yard here in northeast Ohio. Looking through your site, I saw many pictures of burying beetles which look quite similar. But these little guys seem to have larger red bands and the head and thorax do not seem so prominent. Any ideas?
-Steven

Hi Steven,
This is a new genus for our site. This is a Pleasing Fungus Beetle in the genus Megalodacne. They are often found in colonies in rotten wood and beneath loose bark. There are two possible species, M. fasciata which grows 9-15 mm and M. heros which is considerably larger, ranging 18-21 mm.

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