Carrion beetle facts for kids
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Carrion beetles are a special group of beetles. They are also known as large carrion beetles or burying beetles. These beetles belong to the family called Silphidae, which is part of the bigger group of all beetles, known as Coleoptera.
There are over 180 different kinds of carrion beetles known around the world. These beetles are super important because they help clean up nature.
What Carrion Beetles Eat
Carrion beetles get their name because their babies, called larvae, eat dead animals. The adult beetles lay their eggs on dead animals, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae have plenty of food to grow big and strong. Sometimes, the adult beetles also hunt and eat the larvae of other insects.
How They Move Around
Most carrion beetles usually just walk. Many of them have actually lost the ability to fly. Even without flying, they can walk for very long distances. They do this to find dead animals, which are perfect places for them to lay their eggs.
Where They Live
Most types of carrion beetles live in the northern parts of the world, in places where the weather is not too hot or too cold. You can often find them in grassy fields or in forests. In warmer, tropical areas, they mostly live in mountains where it's cooler. You won't find them in deserts, though, as it's too dry and hot for them there.
Images for kids
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A burying beetle (Nicrophorus vespilloides) with a dead rodent.
See also
In Spanish: Sílfidos para niños
